Biden's Intriguing Testimony: Unveiling Mysteries of Document Handling

President Joe Biden shared jokes and recounted detailed stories from his long political career during a two-day interview with special counsel Robert Hur and investigators last October. A transcript of the interview, reviewed by CNN, reveals this lively exchange.

The Justice Department has forwarded the transcript to Congress in response to a subpoena for the records. In the deposition, Biden shares classic anecdotes, ranging from a comical archery mishap in Mongolia to serious discussions about his stance on the Afghanistan war.

The president showed signs of forgetfulness, as seen in Hur's report. One instance mentioned was when he couldn't recall the year his son Beau passed away.

Biden often mentioned that he was unaware or couldn't recollect how his staff managed important papers. He also didn't know how these documents ended up in boxes that were later moved to his private office and residences post his vice presidency.

The president was asked how he managed to keep track of his personal notes on foreign policy. His response to the investigators was, "I have no idea, I wish I could say I was more organized."

The special counsel, upon considering all the instances, concluded in the final report that the president appeared to be a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," who would probably win over a jury.

In a 388-page report released last month, Hur found that Biden mishandled and improperly disclosed classified information after leaving the vice-presidency. However, Hur stated that there wasn't sufficient evidence to charge Biden with a crime.

Despite the decision not to charge Biden, Hur's report had a significant impact on the political scene. It portrayed the president as confused and lacking in clarity. The White House and Biden himself were upset by this portrayal, while Republicans used it to their advantage, expressing disappointment that charges were not filed.

During the interview with Hur's team, Biden's lengthy and sometimes irrelevant monologues stood out, especially considering the importance of Hur's investigation into the current president. Despite the usual advice for clients to keep their answers short during depositions, Biden seemed to opt for a different approach reminiscent of his time in the Senate - filibustering with lengthy responses throughout the five-hour interview that had been prearranged between Hur, Biden's personal lawyers, and White House representatives.

The overall atmosphere of the interview did not seem confrontational, as indicated by the transcript. In fact, there were moments of laughter as Biden cracked jokes during the discussion.

The president humorously remarked that the FBI is more familiar with his house than he is. He joked about recognizing an old picture because he was seen with Senator Lindsey Graham, and playfully referred to the pope as "his ticket." He also quipped about hoping the FBI didn't come across any embarrassing photos of his wife during their searches of his homes and office.

Biden made it clear that he never intentionally kept classified documents after his term ended. He explained that he trusted his aides to handle sensitive papers, including making decisions on what to take with him when he left office.

According to the transcript, Biden mentioned that he couldn't recall certain timelines from when he was vice president. The report raised concerns about Biden's memory, particularly noting that he couldn't remember when his son Beau passed away, even within a few years.

In the transcript, Biden talks about his son while discussing his handling of sensitive documents and contemplating his future after five decades in public office. When asked where he kept his work papers, Biden mentioned the years 2017-2018 and recalled how his son Beau had encouraged him to stay involved in politics.

Biden shared that during this period, his son was either deployed or battling a life-threatening illness. He recalled the exact date of his son's passing, saying, "What month did Beau die? Oh God, May 30th." Some individuals in the room reminded him that Beau had passed away in 2015.

The mix-up in the years mentioned seems to stem from the difficult period when Biden was coping with his son's cancer diagnosis and also contemplating his political path. He opted not to run for president towards the end of the Obama administration, deferring to Hillary Clinton. However, the Trump era ultimately led to his decision to enter the presidential race, as he explained.

Hur pointed to transcripts of a conversation between Biden and his ghostwriter, where Biden mentioned finding classified documents in his garage. These documents were later confirmed by FBI agents to be related to the Afghanistan troop surge.

During his interview, Biden had a different response when asked about the classified materials found in his garage. He denied remembering finding any classified stuff downstairs.

Biden recalled that he made it clear to the person he was talking to that he did not want certain things mentioned in public. He emphasized that the information he shared was meant to be kept confidential, especially when it came to discussing his book. The president stressed that he did not want certain topics to be written about or discussed publicly. He specifically mentioned that he did not want to talk about certain things related to Beau in his book.

During the interview, Biden did not provide much information on how classified documents ended up in his post-vice-presidential office and homes in Delaware and Virginia. He mentioned several times that he could not remember who packed and moved boxes from his official vice-presidential offices and residence after the Obama administration.

When questioned by the special counsel about how a box containing classified documents ended up in his home, Biden directly asked the president if he remembered how the materials got into the box and then into the garage.

Biden admitted, "I don’t remember how a beat-up box ended up in the garage." He also mentioned not recalling certain important events that Hur found out from other witness interviews. For instance, he couldn't remember how his counselor, Steve Ricchetti, loaded boxes into his minivan to take them from the US Naval Observatory, which serves as the official vice president’s residence.

The transcript reveals moments where investigators had difficulty maintaining control as Biden gave lengthy answers. When questioned about his use of work spaces at the Naval Observatory residence, Biden took about 10 minutes to share stories ranging from his work accomplishments to passing the Violence Against Women Act, and even his first job out of law school at a Delaware law firm.

During one particular instance, Hur, who was running out of interview time, attempted to guide the president in remembering if he was aware of certain sensitive documents being kept in his main Delaware home.

Biden decided to share a story about his Corvette that was found in the garage with some documents. He then started talking about the benefits of electric car technology and how quickly they can accelerate from zero to 60 mph.

Hur politely interrupted, expressing her interest in hearing more about the Corvette story but mentioning that there were still more questions to cover.

Editor's P/S:

The transcript of President Biden's interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur provides a fascinating glimpse into the president's personality and memory. Biden's lengthy