The president’s opponents, who have raised alarm over his mental fitness to take on another four-year presidential term, have latched onto Hur’s finding that Biden, 81 has “a poor memory,” to the extent that he was unable to remember key dates, including the death of his son Beau. Biden and his lawyers in turn have criticized Hur for raising his son’s death.
The transcript however reveals that Biden, not Hur, first brought up Beau’s death.
"What month did Beau die? Oh, God, May 30th," Biden said, identifying the correct date.
It also shows that Biden sometimes went beyond a topic to describe an anecdote in vivid detail, while at other times, he could not recall a specific incident.
Biden was interviewed by Hur for three and a half hours on October 8 and for one and a half hours the following day.
The House judiciary and oversight committee chairs have subpoenaed the transcript, along with other materials from Hur’s investigation. Hur is scheduled to testify about his assessment of the president on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.