The uproar was a result of the report’s repeated references to the president’s memory loss, and Huo’s reasoning for avoiding prosecution because “it would be difficult to convince a jury that he should be found guilty.” Dramatized by the conclusion. It’s a serious felony that requires a deliberate state of mind, even if you’re in your 80s. This comes less than a week after NBC News released a poll showing 62% of voters are worried about the 81-year-old Biden’s mental and physical fitness for a second term. It became political dynamite. In fact, the remark was so explosive that Mr. Biden felt it necessary to hold a press conference to rebut it, during which he said, “I know what the hell I’m doing.” ‘ he protested angrily. That didn’t stop Democrats from quietly agitating and Republicans from making the most of this moment. Some Republicans are calling for government officials to invoke the 25th Amendment’s presidential disability provisions.
But there is nothing new about Mr. Biden’s memory lapses, gaffes and ramblings, sometimes embroidered anecdotes. This has been an aspect of his political persona since he was much younger. And that clearly hasn’t gotten better as he’s gotten older. “My memory is fine,” the president said at a news conference Thursday, before confusing the presidents of Mexico and Egypt. Those who are accusing Mr. Huh of making “baseless” arguments about Mr. Biden’s forgetfulness (a term used by the president’s defense team) are themselves the ones criticizing Mr. They forget that they mentioned it as part of the explanation required by the regulations. The charges could not be proven to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. Still, critics are right that there was no need for Mr. Xu to make such a bold claim.
One reason it was disappointing was that it undermined some of the report’s favorable portrayal of Biden, especially in contrast to former President Donald Trump, his likely opponent in November. . Trump has had his classified documents removed from the White House and is being indicted on related charges by another special counsel, Jack Smith. Contrary to Republican claims about a two-tiered judicial system, Ho noted that there are “some important differences” between the two cases. The former president allegedly denied multiple opportunities to return classified documents, had others destroy evidence, and lied before the FBI obtained a search warrant for his Mar-a-Lago property. There is. Mr. Biden has provided classified documents and agreed to allow the FBI to search his home and other areas.
Indeed, Ho called Biden’s sloppy storage of classified documents “totally irresponsible,” the same word Biden used to describe Trump’s handling of allegedly classified documents. is. But overall, the contrast between Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump suggested by the Hur report favors the former.
Voter concerns about Biden’s age and mental acuity are not only widespread, but also entirely legitimate. Assuming Democrats don’t want to reject his nomination now, these concerns will continue to haunt his candidacy. And they would do so even if Mr. Xu had significantly changed the wording of the report. It will be up to the president to convince the public that he is still qualified for the job, or at least more qualified than Trump. It’s up to others to consider Biden’s shortcomings not in the abstract, but in comparison to those of his opponent. The basic reality did not change even with the 2011 report.