A special counsel tasked with investigating President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents during his tenure as vice president in 2017 has concluded that while criminal charges are not warranted, serious concerns regarding his mental acuity have been raised. The report, submitted to US Attorney General Merrick Garland by Robert K. Hur, highlighted that Biden had "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials" after leaving office.
The investigation revealed that Biden shared these documents with the ghostwriter of his memoir, "Promise Me, Dad," which included information on foreign policy matters related to Afghanistan and notebooks from national security and foreign policy briefings.
However, the counsel's assessment of Biden's mental state was particularly damning. Hur noted that Biden's age and cognitive abilities could present challenges in prosecuting him, describing him as an elderly man with a poor memory. The report suggested that convincing a jury to convict a former president, well into his 80s, of a serious felony requiring willfulness would be difficult.
The case against Biden emerged following the discovery of classified documents taken by former President Donald Trump upon leaving office in January 2021. Trump's refusal to return these documents and his claims of declassifying them raised legal questions.
Biden's age and mental acuity have been under scrutiny, even within his own party. At 81, he is already the oldest president in US history, and if re-elected, he would be 82 at the start of his second term. Public incidents, such as mixing up world leaders' names, have contributed to concerns about his cognitive abilities.
Meanwhile, Trump, who is 77 and likely to be the Republican candidate challenging Biden in the upcoming election, has faced his own challenges regarding cognitive lapses. Notably, he mistook Nikki Haley for Nancy Pelosi, showcasing potential memory issues.
(With Agency Inputs)
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