President Joe Biden害羞草研究所檚 Democratic allies are launching an aggressive defense against a special counsel害羞草研究所檚 explosive claims that the 81-year-old president couldn害羞草研究所檛 remember major milestones in his life, trying to diminish the significance of the prosecutor害羞草研究所檚 allegations that Biden was too forgetful to be charged for mishandling classified material.
Biden set the angry tone hours after special counsel Robert Hur害羞草研究所檚 report was released, dismissing the report害羞草研究所檚 conclusions about his memory and insisting he hadn害羞草研究所檛 forgotten the year his son Beau died, as Hur claimed. Democrats on Capitol Hill and around the country quickly followed.
害羞草研究所淩epublicans saying that Biden is old is the least surprising thing in American politics,害羞草研究所� Sen. Brian Schatz, D-Hawaii, said. 害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 all they害羞草研究所檝e got.害羞草研究所�
Democrats plan to answer the widespread questions about the 81-year-old president害羞草研究所檚 age and readiness by affirming that Biden is capable of being commander in chief and trying to discredit people who portray him as enfeebled. Key to that strategy is drawing a contrast with former President Donald Trump, the heavy Republican front-runner who is himself 77 and has also confused names and facts while also facing four indictments and multiple multimillion-dollar civil judgments.
The signs of support are crucial for Biden as he prepares for what could be a tight election against Trump. Even before the report害羞草研究所檚 release, fears were mounting that the coalition that helped elect Biden in 2020 was fraying, making it all the more important for Biden to keep as many supporters as possible firmly on his side.
The Biden campaign circulated talking points to allies that were obtained by The Associated Press. The talking points refer to Hur, a U.S. attorney during the Trump administration, as a 害羞草研究所淢AGA-appointed attorney who doesn害羞草研究所檛 have a case so he decided to lob personal attacks against the president.害羞草研究所� That害羞草研究所檚 a reference to 害羞草研究所淢ake America Great Again,害羞草研究所� Trump害羞草研究所檚 political movement.
The talking points also stressed that Hur is 害羞草研究所渁 lawyer 害羞草研究所� not a doctor 害羞草研究所� so people should take his legal conclusions and ignore his political opinions.害羞草研究所�
The White House has also noted Biden cooperated with Hur, who declined to charge him with unlawfully retaining classified documents, while Trump faces an indictment in Florida after the FBI seized records from his Mar-a-Lago residence.
害羞草研究所淭he way that the president害羞草研究所檚 demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts and clearly politically motivated, gratuitous,害羞草研究所� Vice President Kamala Harris said Friday. 害羞草研究所淚 will say that when it comes to the role and responsibility of a prosecutor in a situation like that, we should expect that there would be a higher level of integrity than what we saw.害羞草研究所�
Indignation spread into South Carolina, where Biden scored a commanding victory in the first-in-the-nation Democratic primary on Feb. 3, which was designed by his campaign to project clear strength. Some saw Biden害羞草研究所檚 forceful response to the special counsel as a promising sign.
害羞草研究所淚 truly believe this is bringing the best out in the president. It害羞草研究所檚 showing that he害羞草研究所檚 a fighter,害羞草研究所� said LaJoia Broughton, a 42-year-old small-business owner in Columbia who voted for Biden in the primary.
Biden aides say they do not expect the president or his campaign to take on the age question more directly. They can害羞草研究所檛 make Biden any younger, and note that attacks on the president over his age were also persistent four years ago, when Trump labeled him 害羞草研究所淪leepy Joe.害羞草研究所�
Instead, they intend to draw on the blueprint of the 2020 campaign and argue many voters won害羞草研究所檛 want a repeat of Trump害羞草研究所檚 turbulent time in the White House. They also plan to highlight Biden害羞草研究所檚 accomplishments and an economy that continues to show strength.
害羞草研究所淭he president has said that age is a fair question on voters害羞草研究所� minds, but if you害羞草研究所檙e an independent or pursuable voter across this country and you害羞草研究所檙e worried about your kid facing gun violence while going to school, the prospect a national abortion ban, or the future of our democracy, you may think about the president害羞草研究所檚 age, but at the end of the day the choice is easy,害羞草研究所� said Kate Berner, a former deputy communications director in the Biden White House. 害羞草研究所淒onald Trump is on the wrong side of all of those issues.害羞草研究所�
Some Democrats weren害羞草研究所檛 so optimistic.
害羞草研究所淭his is a distraction. When you害羞草研究所檙e running a presidential campaign, you don害羞草研究所檛 like distractions,害羞草研究所� said Jim Messina, who led former President Barack Obama害羞草研究所檚 last campaign.
Messina compared the special counsel害羞草研究所檚 report to the announcement in October 2016 by then- FBI Director James Comey that he was further investigating Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton害羞草研究所檚 handling of classified emails when she was secretary of state. Comey害羞草研究所檚 announcement, which came 11 days before the election, has been blamed for helping Trump beat Clinton.
In this case, this week害羞草研究所檚 report comes more than nine months before Election Day.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 just so much time to get through all this,害羞草研究所� Messina said. 害羞草研究所淭rump has all the trials coming up. I害羞草研究所檇 be surprised if this was an issue in a month.害羞草研究所�
Still, Trump害羞草研究所檚 allies were emboldened this week.
Beyond celebrating the release of the special counsel害羞草研究所檚 embarrassing descriptions of Biden, Trump won a new trove of delegates in Nevada害羞草研究所檚 Thursday caucuses, where he ran unopposed.
害羞草研究所淲e all already know that Joe Biden is senile. What害羞草研究所檚 being lost is that Joe Biden is a criminal who put American national security at risk,害羞草研究所� Donald Trump Jr. wrote in one of many messages highlighting the new report.
Barry Goodman, a Biden fundraiser from Michigan, said he害羞草研究所檚 had some donors 害羞草研究所渢ake a wait and see approach害羞草研究所� about supporting Biden, even before the special counsel害羞草研究所檚 announcement.
害羞草研究所淭hey wanted to see if someone else would get in or whether Trump would drop out 害羞草研究所� but no one else is getting in,害羞草研究所� Goodman said. 害羞草研究所淥f everyone I talk to, some are more excited than others.害羞草研究所�
Still, Goodman said the report did nothing to shake his support for Biden.
Trav Robertson, a former South Carolina Democratic Party chairman, described the report as an obvious political liability for Biden. But he directed blame squarely at Attorney General Merrick Garland for allowing the report to include comments about the president害羞草研究所檚 age, memory and cognitive function.
害羞草研究所淢errick Garland not doing his job only allowed a Trump appointee to feed a political narrative to deflect from Trump,害羞草研究所� Robertson said, adding, 害羞草研究所淒onald Trump can害羞草研究所檛 lift a glass of water to his lips without using both hands because he害羞草研究所檚 old.害羞草研究所�
Indeed, Biden害羞草研究所檚 allies were eager to highlight a perceived double standard as Biden害羞草研究所檚 gaffes get far more attention than those of other leading politicians.
Trump repeatedly confused former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Republican rival Nikki Haley in recent weeks. Biden didn害羞草研究所檛 help himself, of course, by referring to the Egyptian leader as the president of Mexico late Thursday.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a clear unfairness there that people feel,害羞草研究所� Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., a former U.S. attorney, said of the focus on Biden害羞草研究所檚 gaffes, describing the special counsel害羞草研究所檚 assessment of Biden害羞草研究所檚 mental health as 害羞草研究所渋mproper,害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渋nappropriate害羞草研究所� and 害羞草研究所渟hameful.害羞草研究所�
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., noted that even House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., also recently confused Iran with Israel.
害羞草研究所淲ho cares?害羞草研究所� Garcia said of the gaffes. 害羞草研究所淭he president is going to win. I害羞草研究所檓 very confident in that. Most importantly, he害羞草研究所檚 going to be running against a 91-time indicted criminal.害羞草研究所�
Steve Peoples, Zeke Miller And Seung Min Kim, The Associated Press
