BREAKING NEWS: Jim Jordan Plays Video Of Biden For Special Counsel Robert Hur To Get His Response

Forbes Breaking News
12 Mar 202411:17

Summary

TLDRThe transcript details a hearing where Special Counsel Robert Her was appointed to investigate whether President Joe Biden unlawfully retained classified information after his vice presidency. Her's report confirms Biden's willful retention of classified materials in unsecure locations and sharing of such information with unauthorized individuals. Despite these findings, charges were not brought against Biden due to his portrayal as a forgetful elderly man. The transcript also includes President Biden's response to the report, denying any wrongdoing and asserting his fitness for office.

Takeaways

  • 📜 Robert Hur was appointed as Special Counsel on January 12th, 2023, to investigate whether Joe Biden unlawfully retained classified information.
  • 🔍 The investigation found that President Biden willfully retained classified materials after his vice presidency, including documents about Afghanistan and handwritten notes stored insecurely in his home.
  • 🧐 Hur interviewed 147 witnesses and examined 7 million documents, including emails, text messages, and other materials from both classified and unclassified sources.
  • 🚨 President Biden shared classified information with individuals not authorized to see it, including his ghostwriter, which poses a risk to national security.
  • 💭 Biden's defense was that he took notebooks after his vice presidency, as every president before him had done, and he felt entitled to do so.
  • 🤔 Hur chose not to bring charges against Biden, citing his appearance as a sympathetic, elderly man with poor memory who did not remember key details of his vice presidency.
  • 🎥 In a press conference, President Biden emphasized that he is well-meaning, elderly, and knows what he is doing, dismissing concerns about his memory and ability to continue as president.
  • 📌 Biden acknowledged responsibility for not overseeing how his staff handled classified documents and wished he had paid more attention to their transfer to the archives.
  • 👨‍⚖️ Biden stated that he believes a special counsel should have been appointed in his case and in the case of his rival, emphasizing that he did not break the law.
  • 🤝 The script also mentions Biden's involvement in hostage negotiations and his interaction with the president of Mexico, highlighting his foreign policy experience.
  • 🤔 The mention of a potential connection between Biden's actions and the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, suggesting that Hamas may have acted to disrupt negotiations.

Q & A

  • Who was appointed as the special counsel on January 12th, 2023?

    -Robert Her was appointed as the special counsel on January 12th, 2023.

  • What was the fundamental question the special counsel was tasked to address?

    -The fundamental question was to determine whether Joe Biden unlawfully retained classified information.

  • What did the investigation uncover regarding President Biden and classified materials?

    -The investigation uncovered evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency, when he was a private citizen.

  • How many witnesses did Robert Her interview during his investigation?

    -Robert Her interviewed 147 witnesses during his investigation.

  • What types of materials did Robert Her examine during his investigation?

    -He examined 7 million documents including emails, text messages, photographs, videos, toll records, and other materials from both classified and unclassified sources.

  • What was the special counsel's conclusion about President Biden's handling of classified information?

    -The special counsel concluded that President Biden kept classified information, failed to properly secure it, and shared it with people not authorized to see it.

  • Why did Robert Her choose not to bring charges against President Biden?

    -Robert Her chose not to bring charges because he believed Biden would present himself to a jury as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.

  • How did President Biden respond to the special counsel's report in his press conference?

    -President Biden defended himself by stating that he is well-meaning and knows what he is doing, and he took responsibility for not seeing exactly what his staff was doing with the classified documents.

  • What did President Biden say about his handling of the Afghanistan memorandum?

    -President Biden explained that he referred to the memorandum as 'classified' when it should have been 'private' because it was a contact between the president and the vice president.

  • In the press conference, what did President Biden say about the possibility of a special counsel being appointed for him and his rival?

    -President Biden stated that a special counsel should have been appointed in both cases because he did not want to be in a position where Trump was scrutinized but not him, and he firmly concluded that he did not break the law.

  • What additional insight did President Biden provide regarding his oversight of the document transfer?

    -President Biden expressed regret for not paying more attention to how the documents were being moved and where they were being transferred to, and he thought all the materials were being moved to the archives.

Outlines

00:00

📜 Investigation Findings on Biden's Handling of Classified Documents

This paragraph discusses the findings of a special counsel's investigation into whether President Joe Biden unlawfully retained classified information. The investigation, led by Robert Hur, revealed that Biden did willfully retain classified materials after his vice presidency, including documents about Afghanistan and handwritten notes stored insecurely in his home. The report is based on interviews with 147 witnesses and examination of 7 million documents. Despite the evidence, Hur chose not to bring charges against Biden, citing his likely portrayal as a sympathetic, forgetful elderly man in court. The paragraph also includes Biden's response to the report, emphasizing his belief in his own competence and memory, and his take on the necessity of a special counsel in his case.

05:00

🗣️ President Biden's Press Conference Response to Investigation

In this paragraph, President Biden addresses the findings of the special counsel's investigation during a press conference. He acknowledges being described as a well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory but asserts that his memory is fine, citing his accomplishments since becoming president. Biden takes responsibility for not overseeing how his staff handled classified material but maintains that he did not break the law. He expresses his belief that a special counsel should have been appointed in his case and in that of his rival, emphasizing that he did not want to be in a position where only one side was scrutinized. The paragraph also touches on public concerns about Biden's age and mental acuity, with Biden responding to these concerns and defending his qualifications for office.

10:03

🤝 Biden's Negotiation Efforts in the Middle East

The final paragraph details President Biden's involvement in negotiations, particularly with the President of Mexico, to allow humanitarian aid into a crisis region. Biden discusses convincing Mexico to open a gate and become part of the Middle East negotiations, in exchange for the United States committing to certain actions. These commitments included dealing with Mexico's archenemy to the north and providing ammunition for defense. The paragraph also mentions a suspicion that Hamas may have acted to disrupt the negotiations, although Biden acknowledges he has no proof of this claim.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Special Counsel

A Special Counsel is an official appointed to investigate and potentially prosecute cases of significant public importance, often involving government officials or high-profile individuals. In the context of the video, Robert Hur was appointed as a Special Counsel to investigate whether President Joe Biden unlawfully retained classified information after his term as Vice President.

💡Classified Information

Classified Information refers to any material that the government has determined must be protected and restricted due to its sensitivity and potential impact on national security. The unauthorized retention or sharing of such information is a serious offense.

💡Willfully Retained

To willfully retain something means to deliberately keep it, especially when there is an obligation or expectation to relinquish it. In legal contexts, willful retention of classified information can be a criminal offense.

💡Unsecure Places

Unsecure places refer to locations or storage areas that do not meet the necessary security standards to protect sensitive or confidential materials. In the context of the video, it relates to where President Biden allegedly stored classified documents.

💡Ghostwriter

A ghostwriter is a person who writes content, such as books or articles, for someone else who is credited as the author. In the context of the video, it refers to an individual with whom Biden allegedly shared classified information, despite their lack of security clearance.

💡National Security

National Security encompasses the set of measures and policies adopted by a government to protect its country's citizens, institutions, and interests against external and internal threats. The improper handling of classified information can pose a risk to national security.

💡Elderly Man

The term 'elderly man' typically refers to an older adult male, often implying a certain age range that is considered senior. In the video, it is used to describe President Biden, with implications about his memory and cognitive abilities.

💡Press Conference

A press conference is a media event in which news is formally presented to journalists, often by a public figure or organization. It provides an opportunity for the media to ask questions and receive immediate responses.

💡Memory

Memory refers to the faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as a potential issue for President Biden, with references to his age and the Special Counsel's assessment of him as a 'forgetful old man'.

💡Sympathetic

Sympathetic generally means evoking feelings of pity or compassion. In legal contexts, a sympathetic figure may be one who is perceived as vulnerable or deserving of understanding due to personal circumstances.

💡Charges

In a legal context, charges refer to formal accusations or allegations brought against an individual, which could lead to a trial. The decision to bring charges or not is a critical aspect of the legal process.

Highlights

Robert Hur was appointed as Special Counsel on January 12th, 2023 to investigate whether Joe Biden unlawfully retained classified information.

The investigation confirmed that President Biden willfully retained classified materials after his vice presidency, when he was a private citizen.

Biden kept classified information and failed to store it properly, including marked classified documents about Afghanistan and handwritten notes in his notebooks.

Hur interviewed 147 witnesses and examined 7 million documents, including emails, text messages, photographs, videos, toll records, and other materials from both classified and unclassified sources.

Biden shared classified information with individuals not cleared to see it, including his ghostwriter.

The information shared posed a risk of serious damage to America's national security, according to Hur's report.

Joe Biden claimed he took notebooks after his vice presidency because 'every president before me has done the same exact thing', despite never having been president.

Biden expressed a sense of entitlement and arrogance in his statement, suggesting a belief that the rules did not apply to him.

Special Counsel Hur chose not to bring charges against Biden, describing him as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.

Biden's press conference addressed the report, with the president denying any wrongdoing and asserting his mental acuity and capability as president.

Biden took responsibility for not overseeing his staff's handling of classified materials and acknowledged a lack of attention to the matter.

Biden stated he would have overseen the transfer of materials from his office if he had known, indicating a failure on the part of his staff.

The president expressed a belief that a special counsel should have been appointed in his case and in the case of his rival, former President Trump.

Biden maintained that he did not break the law, and his actions were not comparable to those investigated in the cases of Trump and the vice president.

The transcript includes a discussion on Biden's age and mental acuity, with the president defending his qualifications and fitness for office.

Biden's handling of the Afghanistan situation and his communication with President Obama regarding the conflict are mentioned, highlighting his judgment and decision-making.

The transcript touches on a hostage negotiation effort involving the president, showcasing his diplomatic skills and actions in international affairs.

Transcripts

00:01

pursuant to an agreement with the

00:02

ranking member uh Nadler and without

00:04

objection chairman comr and ranking

00:06

member Raskin will be permitted to

00:07

participate in today's hearing for the

00:09

purposes of making opening statements

00:12

and asking questions of the witness that

00:14

each will receive three minutes for an

00:15

opening statement and five minutes to

00:17

question the witness the chair now

00:20

recognizes himself for an opening

00:21

statement Robert her was appointed

00:23

special Council on January 12th

00:27

2023 he had a fundamental question to

00:29

address

00:30

did Joe Biden unlawfully retain

00:32

classified information the answer yes he

00:36

did page one of Mr her's report he says

00:39

this our investigation uncovered

00:41

evidence that President Biden willfully

00:44

retained and disclos classified

00:46

materials after his vice presidency when

00:50

he was a private citizen he further

00:52

writes Mr Biden willfully retained

00:55

marked classified documents about

00:58

Afghanistan and handwritten notes in his

01:01

notebooks which he stored in unsecure

01:04

places in his home Joe Biden kept

01:07

classified information and Joe Biden

01:09

failed to store classified information

01:12

properly Mr her made these

01:14

determinations after interviewing 147

01:17

Witnesses he examined 7 million

01:21

documents including emails text messages

01:23

photographs videos toll records and

01:26

other materials from both classified and

01:29

unclassified

01:30

sources but there's more he not only Joe

01:34

Biden not only kept information he

01:36

wasn't allowed to keep and he not only

01:38

failed to secure that information

01:40

properly he also shared it with people

01:43

he wasn't allowed to who weren't allowed

01:45

to see

01:46

it shared that information with his

01:49

ghost riter and remember this is

01:52

information that only individuals with

01:54

the security clearance are supposed to

01:56

see Mr her told us on page 200 of his

01:59

report report that it's the kind of

02:02

information that quote risk serious

02:05

damage to America's national

02:08

security and what did Joe Biden have to

02:10

say about all this what was his

02:13

explanation on page 94 of Mr her's

02:16

report Joe Biden said he took his

02:18

notebooks with him after his vice

02:21

presidency because quote their mind and

02:25

every president before me has done the

02:27

same exact thing never mind the fact

02:31

that he had never been president when he

02:32

took this information but what comes

02:35

through is Joe Biden felt he was

02:37

entitled you can almost hear it you can

02:40

feel the arrogance in the statement

02:42

they're mine but even with all that Mr

02:46

her chose not to bring charges because

02:49

quote Mr Biden would likely present

02:52

himself to a jury as he did in our

02:54

interview of him as a sympathetic

02:57

well-meaning elderly man with a poor

03:00

memory a forgetful old man who Mr H said

03:04

did not remember when he was vice

03:06

president forgetting on the first day of

03:08

the interview when his team when his

03:09

term ended and forgetting on the second

03:12

day of the interview when his term as

03:14

vice president

03:15

began Mr her produced a 345 page report

03:20

but in the end it boils down to a few

03:21

key facts Joe Biden kept classified

03:25

information Joe Biden failed to properly

03:27

secure classified information and Jo

03:29

Biden shared classified information with

03:31

people he wasn't supposed

03:37

to Joe Biden broke the law but because

03:41

he's a forgetful old man who would

03:43

appear sympathetic to a jury Mr her

03:45

chose not to bring

03:48

charges Mr her we think it's important

03:51

that you be able to respond to President

03:53

Biden's response to your report so we're

03:56

going to play a short video of Mr

03:58

Biden's press President Biden's press

03:59

conference after your report was

04:01

released because there's things in this

04:02

press conference that the president

04:03

United States says that are directly

04:05

contradicted by what you found in your

04:08

report so if we could play that

04:12

video

04:13

Everybody

04:16

evening let me say a few things before I

04:19

take your

04:20

questions as you know the special counil

04:23

releasees finding today about their look

04:26

into my handling of classified

04:28

documents President Biden something the

04:31

special counsel said in his report is

04:33

that one of the reasons you were not

04:35

charged is because in his description

04:38

you are a well-meaning elderly man with

04:41

a poor memory I'm well-meaning and I'm

04:44

an elderly man and I know what the hell

04:46

I'm doing I've been president I put this

04:48

country back on his feet I don't need

04:50

his recommendation it's totally bad is

04:52

your memory and can you continue as

04:55

president my memory is so bad I let you

04:58

speak

05:00

that's that's your memory has gotten

05:02

worse Mr President my memory is not my

05:05

memory is fine my memory take a look at

05:07

what I've done since I become president

05:09

none of you thought I could pass any of

05:11

the things I got passed how'd that

05:13

happen you know I guess I just forgot

05:15

what was going on Mr Mr President voters

05:18

have concerns about your age how are you

05:20

going to assuage them and do you fear

05:22

that this report is only going to fuel

05:24

further concerns about only by some of

05:26

you Mr Mr Mr CLE criminal liability

05:31

today but do you take responsibility for

05:33

at least being careless with classified

05:36

material I take responsibility for not

05:39

having seen exactly what my staff was

05:42

doing there goes in and points out

05:45

things that appeared in my garage things

05:47

that came out of my home things that

05:48

were move were moved not by me but my

05:51

staff but my staff

05:55

[Music]

05:58

Mr Mr President Mr President for months

06:02

when you were asked about your age you

06:04

would respond with the words watch me

06:06

many American people have been watching

06:09

and they have expressed concerns about

06:10

your age that is your judgment that is

06:13

your judg to public not Jud conern they

06:17

express concerns about your mental

06:18

acuity they say that you are too old Mr

06:21

President in December you told me that

06:22

you believe there are many other

06:24

Democrats who could defeat Donald Trump

06:26

so why does it have to be you now what

06:28

what is your answer I'm the most

06:30

qualified person in this country to be

06:31

president of the United States and

06:32

finish the job I

06:36

[Music]

06:37

started why are you confusing the names

06:40

ofal leaders thank you everyone I did

06:42

not share classified information I did

06:45

not share with your ghost with my ghost

06:47

right I did not guarantee you did not

06:49

but special Council said he did not say

06:52

that he did not say that but Mr

06:54

President let me answer your

06:56

question the fact of the matter is what

06:59

I did didn't want repeated I didn't want

07:01

him to know and I didn't read it to him

07:03

was I had written a long memorandum to

07:05

President Obama why we should not be in

07:09

this in Afghanistan and I was multiple

07:12

pages and so what I was referring to I

07:15

said classified I should have said it

07:17

was should be private because it was a

07:19

contact between the president and the

07:20

vice president as to what was going on

07:23

that's what he was referring to it was

07:25

not classified information in that

07:27

document that was not

07:31

[Music]

07:39

he called on me um when you look back at

07:42

this incident is there anything you

07:44

would do differently now and do you

07:46

think that a special prosecutor should

07:48

have been appointed in the first place

07:49

in both of these

07:51

cases first of all what I would have

07:55

done is overseen the transfer of the

07:58

material that was in my office in my

08:01

offices I should have done that if I go

08:05

back I didn't have the responsibility to

08:07

that that was my staff was supposed to

08:08

do that and they referenced that in the

08:10

report and my staff did not do it in the

08:13

way that for example I didn't know how

08:16

half the boxes got in my garage until I

08:19

found out staff gathered them up put

08:21

them together and took them to the

08:23

garage in my home and all the stuff that

08:25

was in my home was in filing cabinets

08:27

that were either locked or able to on it

08:30

was in my house it wasn't out in like in

08:33

Mar Lago in a public place where and

08:35

none of it was high classified didn't

08:37

have any of that red stuff on it you

08:39

know what I mean around the corners none

08:41

of that and so I wish I had paid more

08:44

attention to how the documents were

08:46

being moved and where I thought they

08:48

were being moved to the archives I

08:50

thought all of us was being moved that's

08:52

what I thought now what was the last

08:53

part of your question whether a special

08:55

counsel should have been appointed in

08:57

this case and in the case of your rival

08:59

president former president I think a

09:00

special counsel should have been

09:01

appointed and the reason I think a

09:03

special counsel should have been

09:05

appointed is because I did not want to

09:07

be in a position that they looked at

09:09

Trump and weren't going to look at me

09:11

just like they looked at the vice

09:12

president and the fact is they made a

09:14

firm conclusion I did not break the law

09:18

period thank you all very very

09:21

[Music]

09:28

much

09:31

Neti the hostage

09:39

negotiation I'm of the view as you know

09:43

that the

09:45

conduct of the

09:50

response in go in the Goda strip has

09:54

been

09:55

um over the

09:58

top I think that

10:03

uh as you

10:05

know initially the president of Mexico

10:08

CCE did not want to open up the gate to

10:11

allow humanitarian material to get in I

10:15

talk to them I convince them to open the

10:17

gate let them make them part of the

10:19

Middle East and recognize them fully in

10:21

return for certain things that the

10:23

United States would commit to do and the

10:26

commitment that we were proposed to do

10:28

related to two two two items I'm not

10:31

going to go in detail but one of them

10:33

was to deal with um the protection

10:36

against their Arch Enemy to the

10:38

Northwest a Northeast I should say the

10:41

second one by providing ammunition and

10:44

material for them to defend themselves

10:48

coincidentally that's the time frame

10:50

when this broke out I have no proof what

10:52

I'm about to say but it's not

10:54

unreasonable to suspect that the Hamas

10:57

understood what was about to take place

10:59

and wanted to break it up before it

11:05

happened thank you

11:07

everybody we're everybody to hold for a

11:10

moment

11:12

off chair now recognizes the ranking

11:14

member of Mr Nadler for an opening

11:16

statement