Leaked audio of Biden's interview with Robert Hur shows lapses in former president's memory

Leaked audio of former President Joe Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur on Friday shows lapses in the former president's memory, including the year Beau Biden died and the year President Donald Trump was first elected. 

The audio, obtained by Axios, appears to support allegations that Biden's memory and mental acuity were not as strong as the White House and his administration attempted to portray. The interview took place in October 2023.

The audio shows Biden struggling to remember key details and dates, including the year he left office as vice president, and occasionally slurring his words and muttering. It also shows long pauses in the former president's speech that are not revealed in a transcript of the interview. 

The release comes after the Biden White House exercised executive privilege over the tapes. 

Hur, who was investigating Biden's handling of classified documents, released a report last year that did not recommend any criminal charges against Biden because he believed the jury would see the then-president as a well-meaning old man. 

The last White House, along with other Democrats, heavily criticized the report as "politically motivated." 

The audio leak comes as the Trump administration prepares to publicly release the full recording as early as next week, according to the New York Times. 

A spokesperson for the former president said the audio does not reveal anything new because the former administration already released the transcripts.

“The transcripts were released by the Biden administration more than a year ago,” the spokesperson told the outlet. “The audio does nothing but confirm what is already public.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.