Democrats rally around Biden as report raises age concerns
Democrats are rallying behind President Joe Biden following a report on his management of classified documents, which sparked concerns about his age and cognitive abilities.
While Mr. Biden will not face charges for retaining classified materials, the report portrayed him as a “well-intentioned, elderly individual with memory challenges.”
Vice President Kamala Harris criticized this portrayal as “unnecessary, inaccurate, and unsuitable.” She also accused the prosecutor of having “evident political motivations.”
Robert Hur, appointed by US Attorney General Merrick Garland in January, led the investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents. Hur, a former clerk for two prominent conservative judges, was tapped amidst Republican scrutiny of the Justice Department’s appointment of a separate special counsel to probe Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of classified information.
The publicly released report from Hur included a letter from the White House requesting revisions to the comments regarding the president’s memory “in a manner consistent with your expertise and jurisdiction.”
Harris, a former prosecutor, echoed concerns about the report’s characterization of the president during a press briefing on Friday. She asserted that the portrayal of Biden’s demeanor in the report was factually incorrect and politically motivated.
“In a situation like this, we should expect a prosecutor to demonstrate a higher standard of integrity,” she emphasized.
Democratic allies on Capitol Hill also told the BBC they believed Mr. Hur’s remarks went beyond the scope of the investigation.
“I think it was an entirely inappropriate way to approach the remit of the special counsel and the role of the special counsel,” Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon said.
“It’s unfortunate it wandered into territory that was so inappropriate.”
Minnesota’s Tina Smith called Mr. Hur’s comments “outrageous” and “despicable”, accusing him of “blatantly politicizing” his role as special counsel.
Since launching his re-election campaign, Mr Biden has been plagued by concerns about his age and mental capacities.
He is 81, just a few years older than the frontrunner Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, 77.
This report has done little to assuage voters’ concerns. It alleged that Mr. Biden could not remember when his son Beau died of cancer or when he served as vice president during interviews with investigators.
But Democrats who spoke to the BBC on Friday said they remain unconcerned about the president’s mental faculties.
Summing up his takeaways from the report, Jon Ossoff from Georgia said: “No charges recommended. Unusual commentary strays from what one would typically expect in a focused and substantive report. Ultimately just noise.”
The youngest member of the Senate, Mr. Ossoff emphasized that he had spent a “substantial amount of time” with the president in recent months.
“I’ve found him to be sharp, focused, impressive, formidable, and effective,” he said.
Mr Ossoff’s colleagues agreed, including Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who called the president “thoughtful and experienced” at a Friday news conference.
Democrats remain “absolutely confident” in the president, he said. “We want to stick with somebody who understands what this country needs.”
But some of his counterparts across the aisle said Mr Hur’s observations had added fuel to the growing perception that Mr Biden is not up to the job of president.
“He’s trying to do his best, and his best is beginning to concern me,” North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis told the BBC.
“I don’t care if you’re 78 or 178 if you’re going to be the leader of the free world, you’ve got to be on your game 100 percent,” the moderate Republican said.
Concerns about Mr Biden’s age are “an enduring problem” for his re-election campaign, Larry Sabato, the director for the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told the BBC.
Experts have noted that polling suggests Mr Trump does not face as much criticism from voters about his age, despite having similar gaffes as Mr Biden on the campaign trail.
In recent months, both Mr Biden and Mr Trump have made a series of public errors while publicly speaking, confusing names of world leaders and US politicians on several occasions.
But Mr Trump’s bombastic style and “constant offensive posture” may fuel perceptions of him as a more energetic candidate, said Chris Borick, the director of the Muhlenberg College Institute of Public Opinion.
Worries about Mr. Trump’s age “don’t seem to stick in the same way”, he said.
But for Mr Biden, his campaign will have to be focused on addressing the perception that he is not mentally fit for office.
“The report adds to the steepness of [Biden’s] efforts to overcome what is undoubtedly a significant hindrance to his campaign,” Mr. Borick said.
