Biden Asserts Executive Privilege in Desperate Attempt to Protect Himself

President Joe Biden has chosen to exercise executive privilege to safeguard the confidentiality of audio and video recordings stemming from his interview with special counsel Robert Hur.

Hur's investigation, which concluded in February, resulted in the recommendation of no charges against Biden regarding classified documents.

However, the final report raised concerns about Biden's cognitive health and memory, particularly regarding his handling of sensitive materials during his tenure as vice president.

While Hur acknowledged Biden's lapses in safeguarding national secrets, he expressed a belief that a jury would view Biden sympathetically due to his age and purported memory issues. Republican Representatives Jim Jordan and James Comer pressed for the release of Hur's interviews with Biden.

Nonetheless, the Department of Justice (DOJ) informed NBC News that Biden would assert executive privilege to maintain the confidentiality of the recordings in a letter issued on Thursday.

Carlos Felipe Uriarte, a DOJ official, reiterated the executive branch's position that individuals asserting the President's claim of executive privilege are immune from criminal contempt of Congress charges.

Attorney General Merrick Garland separately affirmed that Biden's discussions with Hur fell under the purview of executive privilege. Garland cautioned that releasing the interviews could jeopardize the DOJ's ability to conduct similar high-profile investigations, especially those reliant on voluntary cooperation from White House officials.

Hur's final report, issued on February 5, had significant political ramifications for the president. Hur suggested that Biden, if tried, would likely portray himself to a jury as an elderly individual with good intentions but a failing memory. Hur emphasized the challenge of convincing a jury to convict Biden, particularly given his age and purported memory decline.

Additionally, Hur noted a substantial decline in Biden's memory since their previous interview in 2017. The report cited an instance where Biden struggled to recall the precise timeline of his son Beau Biden's passing from cancer.

Despite being reminded by others present during the interview, Biden exhibited difficulty recalling the details, indicating a significant lapse in memory.