When the Hur report was released in early February of 2024, President Joe Biden gave an impromptu press conference about the report in the evening on February 8 in which he attempted to rebut the comments in the report about his failing memory. It went less than well, with Biden yelling at one reporter, mixing up the presidents of Egypt and Mexico, and forgetting from where the rosary Beau gave him came.
He also was rude with another reporter who asked about his memory, firing back and refusing to answer the question when asked about his memory and if it is failing or functioning. His refusal to give a straight answer rather than snapping an angry one came despite that reporter quoting from the language of the Hur report in asking him.
As background, at one point in the report, Hur described President Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” saying, “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. It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him—by then a former president well into his eighties of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness.”
Bringing up that passage, Peter Doocy, the first reporter at the press conference to pose a question to Biden about the report and the allegations made in it about his memory asked, “President Biden, something the special counsel said in his report is that one of the reasons you were not charged is because, in his description, you are a ‘well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.’”
President Biden responded somewhat sarcastically, snapping that he is well-meaning and elderly, but that he is more than capable of being president. Responding, he said, “I am well-meaning, and I’m an elderly man, and I know what the hell I’m doing. I’ve been President. I put this country back on its feet. I don’t need his recommendation. That’s totally un- —”
Cutting him off, Doocy asked, “How bad is your memory? And can you continue as President?” Biden, not answering, snapped, “My memory is so bad, I let you speak. That’s the —” He was cut off again, with Doocy asking, “Do you —” Doocy continued, “Do you feel your memory has gotten worse, Mr. President?”
President Biden then claimed his memory was fine, pointing to his supposed legislative successes as evidence. He said, “Now, look, my memory has not gotten — my memory is fine. My memory — take a look at what I’ve done since I’ve become President. None of you thought I could pass any of the things I got passed. How did that happen? You know, I guess I just forgot what was going on.”
Watch that exchange here:
Slightly later during the same press conference, President Biden was asked about his mental health by one reporter, at which point he went berserk and again got quite rude. The reporter began, “For months when you were asked about your age, you would respond with the words ‘Watch me.’” Biden then interrupted the reporter, saying, “Watch me.” She blazed on regardless, saying, “Then the American people have been watching and they have expressed concerns about your age.” That’s when Biden got angry. Interrupting her, he fired back, “That is your judgment!” Yelling it again, he snapped, “That is your judgment!” He continued, “That is not the judgment of the press.”
Continuing despite Biden’s rudeness, the reporter forged ahead and asked why he continues clinging to power despite his age and his having admitted that other people could run in his stead. She said, “They express concerns about your mental acuity, they say that you are too old. Mr. President, in December, you told me that you believed there are many other Democrats who could defeat Donald Trump. So why does it have to be you now? What is your answer to that question?” Biden said, “Because I’m the most qualified person in this country to be President of the United States and finish the job I started.”
Watch the incident here: