President Joe Biden repeatedly told special counsel Robert Hur that he had “no idea” how government documents got into his D.C. office and his Wilmington garage, according to an interview transcript released minutes before the start of a hearing Tuesday.
Hur’s report has drawn attention to his decision to include examples of the president’s inability to remember key events in his life — an explosive move that has fueled an election debate about his cognitive skills.
But the president also repeatedly states that he does not remember information directly related to the investigation — namely how government materials that were supposed to go to the National Archives ended up at home.
During his interview at the White House, Hur asked Biden about a “second tranche” of documents that ended up at his home in December 2022.
“I have no fucking idea. I didn’t even bother to go through them,” Biden responded.
President Joe Biden repeatedly said he had “no idea” when asked detailed questions about how classified materials got into his home and office
Asked how he knew when the boxes arrived in his garage, Biden replied: “No, because I had been away.” He said it “could be construction material from what they’re doing now,” in a possible reference to renovations at his home, with the information redacted.
Biden was asked how long he expected to live in a Virginia home after leaving the vice presidency.
“I have no idea,” he replied.
Did he know if the contents of a filing cabinet were being removed from a filing cabinet in preparation for a move? “I have no idea,” Biden replied.
‘They probably locked the cupboard and put it in a truck. But I don’t know.’
Asked about notebooks containing his foreign policy notes from his time as vice president and where they were located, Biden apologized.
“I have no idea, I wish I could say I was more organized,” Biden said.
Biden recalled moving boxes around his garage to gain access to his classic Corvette. He could also clearly remember that there was a folder with materials on the car, a gift from his father
Special Counsel Robert Hur released a report explaining his decision not to charge Biden with a crime, citing examples of memory loss
The president’s inability to remember specific details of the material movements came in a trial that culminated in Hur’s conclusion that there was not sufficient evidence to charge Biden with a crime, in an investigation that required him to determine Biden’s intentions judge.
Biden, a lawyer who described the early parts of his law career over long stretches in response to Hur’s questions, also said he did not “knowingly” keep documents.
For example, he answered a prosecutor’s question about memos and documents about Afghanistan from his time as vice president, when asked whether he kept any more documents.
‘Unaware. I mean, it wasn’t something I did consciously – there may have been something that was kept in a notebook or something, but not consciously,” he replied.
Biden could not recall how classified information came to light at his home before a House hearing with video of his fiery news conference immediately after Hur released his report.
“I take responsibility for not seeing exactly what my staff did,” Biden said.
Biden also tried to blame subordinates during his interview, without naming names. “I don’t want to hold them responsible or get them in trouble, but I believe they were the ones who set things right,” he said.
There were other areas where Biden’s memory was crystal clear, including a folder marked “Corvette,” related to his classic Stingray.
‘Now I have stuff there. I remember this,” Biden said. ‘I had all the materials of things that were important to me personally. He mentioned the sticker price of $5,700, the “original key fob” he keeps. “I have all the information on the Corvette,” he said.
He also recalled seeing boxes in his garage in 2019 or 2020 and moving them himself to get to his beloved car.
“I remember moving boxes, literally physically, with help, from one side to the other so I could get the Corvette into the garage…” he said.
As expected, Biden’s memory figured prominently in the dueling testimony during Tuesday’s House hearing.
“We’re trying to play memory detectives,” Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) scolded.
But Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), a Donald Trump loyalist, asked whether Biden was “a little more cunning and a little more devious and maybe a little more deliberate” in his answers.