In Biden documents report by Robert Hur, don’t miss forest for trees - The Washington Post
Washington PostMAR 2024
Special Counsel Hur Testifies for US House
Image copyright: Chip Somodevilla/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Hur owes Biden an apology for depicting the president as having serious memory lapses despite that not being the mandate of the investigation. The transcript paints a more nuanced picture of Biden's answers and contradicts some of Hur's claims. Hur was defiant in his testimony, but he should have to answer for his tarnishing of Biden's reputation.
Republican narrative
Whether Biden is forgetful and elderly is not relevant here other than the fact that Hur seems to have let Biden off the hook because the special counsel has that impression of the president. Biden's admission that he took the documents willfully was the same explanation Trump gave under questioning, yet Trump is the only one facing criminal charges. Hur needs to better explain this double standard.