Democratic Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) fiercely defended President Joe Biden’s mental acuity against the backdrop of a Special Counsel investigation into the handling of classified documents. Special Counsel Robert Hur testified before the House Judiciary Committee on Tuesday creating even more controversy.
The testimony took a dramatic turn when Rep. Steve Cohen took the floor. Cohen, in a vehement rebuttal to the report about Biden’s age and memory, claimed that the qualities needed for the presidency transcended mere factual recall.
Cohen said, What I’m saying to you is that there was not anything to do with his memory why he wasn’t chosen to be, you chose not to indict him. It was the difference in the facts in the case and how he dealt with it.”
“To be president, you need to have values. You need to have an understanding of what values America has and needs to maintain to keep the world safe and peaceful,” Cohen stated.
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Hur, overseeing the investigation into Biden’s management of sensitive information, presented a nuanced account of the President’s actions and mental state. While Hur’s report last month stopped short of levying charges against Biden, it raised concerns with its depiction of a “forgetful commander in chief” who “failed to protect sensitive information.”
The investigation concluded that Biden had “willfully retained classified information,” including documents marked as top-secret, knowledgeably since as far back as 2017. Despite the findings, Hur made it clear that his assessment of Biden’s cognitive abilities was “necessary and accurate and fair,” and importantly, he stated, “I did not exonerate” the president.
Cohen said on Tuesday, “Nobody suggests he’s senile. And that’s disrespectful of senior people with any kind of memory disability. Lots of seniors have memory disability, but they’re not senile.” He branded the implications of Biden’s incompetence due to age or memory issues as “shameful,” firmly stating, “Joe Biden is a competent, good president of those American values.”
Hur’s comprehensive report on Biden’s mishandling of classified materials determined that no chargeable offenses were committed. However, the report highlighted several facets that are expected to present political challenges for Biden.
“Mr. Biden’s memory was significantly limited, both during his recorded interviews with the ghostwriter in 2017, and in his interview with our office in 2023. And his cooperation with our investigation, including by reporting to the government that the Afghanistan documents were in his Delaware garage, will likely convince some jurors that he made an innocent mistake, rather than acting willfully-that is, with intent to break the law-as the statute requires,” the report stated.
The Special Counsel acknowledged that Biden may have violated legal statutes, potentially amounting to a felony, but cited his advanced age and cognitive challenges as factors against pursuing accountability.
“We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt.”