WASHINGTON: The White House launched a vigorous counterattack against a harsh special counsel report portraying President Joe Biden as elderly and forgetful, labeling it as a politically motivated assault on the president in the midst of an election year.
Vice President Kamala Harris dismissed the damning report as “politically motivated,” echoing sentiments from White House spokesman Ian Sams, who criticized it as “gratuitous and inappropriate,” casting doubt on its impartiality.
While hosting German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for talks on Ukraine, Biden declined to address questions on the report. However, he vehemently reacted the night before to its findings.
White House Fires Back at Critical Special Counsel Report on Biden
Though the investigation cleared Biden of unlawfully possessing classified documents, it characterized him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” igniting a defensive response from his supporters and aides.
In a speech to a National Rifle Association event, former President Donald Trump, 77, took a dig at Biden’s mental acuity, stating, “I don’t think he knows he’s alive.”
Amidst concerns about Biden’s mental sharpness, attention also turned to Harris as the potential successor to the presidency. Both Biden and Harris are grappling with declining approval ratings as they campaign for reelection.
The White House’s strategy seemed to target special counsel Robert Hur, a Republican appointed by Trump, who was appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate the documents case involving Biden.
Democratic Senator John Fetterman criticized Hur’s report as a “smear and cheap shot,” attributing it to political motivations. White House spokesperson Sams stopped short of labeling Hur as partisan but suggested external pressures might have influenced his criticisms.
Biden’s press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended him, rejecting assertions of his age and mental faculties, while other allies rallied to his defense.
Republicans have called for Biden’s resignation, with Trump accusing the Department of Justice of double standards in handling his own legal issues.
Despite Biden’s impassioned response to the report, wherein he also faced criticism for mixing up the presidents of Egypt and Mexico.
