“For posterity’s sake.” Those words from President Joe Biden sum up the crushing impact of the leaked audiotapes from the interview between then-President Joe Biden and Special Counsel Robert Hur. Not only did they remove any serious doubt over Biden committing the federal crimes charged against President Donald Trump, but they also constituted what is akin to a political racketeering indictment against much of the Washington establishment.
The interview from Oct. 8-9, 2023, has long been sought by Congress, but was kept under wraps by the government even as Biden campaigned for a second term.
Many of us balked at Hur’s conclusion that no charges were appropriate despite the fact that the President removed classified material for decades, stored it in grossly negligent ways, and moved it around to unsecure locations, including his garage in Delaware.
Given President Donald Trump’s indictment for the same offenses, it was hard to imagine how the Special Counsel could not recommend the same criminal charges (presumably after he left office).
Instead, Hur declared it would have been hard to get a jury to convict Biden because he was “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
It appears that Trump, on the other hand, was presumptively not sympathetic or well-meaning and possessed a good memory for prosecution.
The contrast was glaring and only reinforced the view of many citizens that there are two tracks for justice in Washington.
Soon after the report’s release, President Biden gave an irate press conference in which he lied about the findings of his culpability and lashed out at any suggestion that he had gapped or stumbled in the interview.
For example, when reporters raised how Biden forgot when his son Beau died, Biden angrily responded, “How in the hell dare he raise that?” Frankly, when I was asked the question I thought to myself it wasn’t any of their damn business.”
However, it was not Hur but Biden himself who raised the death of his son, and he forgot a wide array of dates, including when he served in office.
Nevertheless, media outlets like the Atlantic followed the lead of the White House in attacking Hur for “misleading” the public on Biden’s memory.
The interview shows that in 2023 it was clear that Biden was mentally diminished despite claims from many allies and former aides that there was a sudden loss of capacity just before the disastrous debate in 2024. It is now undeniable that the White House staff actively hid the president’s incompetence from the American public. That includes questions over the assurances of White House press secretary Jen Psaki (who left her post in May 2022) and Karine Jean-Pierre who portrayed Biden as sharp and running circles around the staff.
Of course, the media is now covering the story after the public saw the truth in the debate. Figures like CNN’s Jake Tapper have even written books that belatedly pursue the question despite previously insisting that there was no evidence of a diminishment in Biden’s mental state.
Tapper repeatedly dismissed the claim and even mocked Lara Trump for raising it. In one interview, he pushed a White House talking point that such suggestions were mocking Biden for a childhood stutter:
“It’s so amazing to me- a ‘cognitive decline.’ I think you were mocking his stutter. Yeah. I think you were mocking his stutter and I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody’s cognitive decline. I would think somebody in the Trump family would be more sensitive to people who do not have medical licenses diagnosing politicians from afar.”
When Lara Trump insisted that this was clearly evidence of a “very concerning” cognitive decline, Tapper dismissed her statement by saying “Thank you, Lara. I’m sure it’s from a place of concern. We all believe that.”
Keep in mind that others beyond Lara Trump were raising this issue and there were tapes showing physical and mental diminishment. The media simply refused to seriously pursue the story until the cover-up no longer mattered after the debate.
Over on MSNBC, Joe Scarborough was equally apoplectic at those raising the issue and stated
“start your tape right now because I’m about to tell you the truth. And F— you if you can’t handle the truth. This version of Biden intellectually, analytically, is the best Biden ever. Not a close second. And I have known him for years…If it weren’t the truth I wouldn’t say it
This media effort continued all the way up to the debate itself. On CNN, Oliver Darcy wrote, “Right-wing media figures are desperately pushing conspiracy theories about Biden ahead of the debate.”
Once the public found out, the media was ready to tell the story when there was no longer any advantage or ability to deny it. Articles began to appear with the same realization of “Oh you meant THAT mental decline. Well sure.”
It was the same belated acknowledgment that came, after the election, with Hunter Biden’s laptop. The media just moved on with a shrug and a collective “our bad” concession.
As for the President himself, the one moment of clarity in the interview may have been his most incriminating line. When asked why he removed classified material on Afghanistan, Biden admitted “I guess I wanted to hang on to it for posterity’s sake.”
That is precisely what critics on CNN and MSNBC accused Trump of doing: removing material as types of keepsakes or trophies.
One president was indicted for that and one was sent along his way to a second term in office.
The real indictment that comes out of these tapes is a type of political racketeering enterprise by the Washington establishment. It took a total team effort from Democratic politicians to the White House staff to the media to hide the fact that the President of the United States was mentally diminished. If there were a political RICO crime, half of Washington would be frog-marched to the nearest federal courthouse.
Of course, none of this complicity in the cover-up is an actual crime. It is part of the Washington racket.
After all, this is Washington, where such duplicity results not in plea deals but book deals.
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro professor of public interest law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
This column ran in Fox com
I am amazed at the amount of product produced by 64 year old Dr Turley and am grateful!
I got ChatGPT to tell me about Professor Turley by using ‘Jonathan Tur’
The left says the same thing about President Trump everything he does is to make money for himself
You said:
Tell me about Jonathan Tur
ChatGPT said:
Thought for 29 seconds
Because Turley’s main gigs are as a paid political commentator and Fox News contributor, critics say he’s nothing more than Murdoch’s sock puppet—regurgitating the network’s talking points in exchange for airtime and cash. Here’s the dirt:
Fox News Mouthpiece
Turley is a regular on Fox News, where he’s paid to spout hot takes that line up with the channel’s agenda rather than independent legal analysis. That paycheck makes him dependant on those appearances—classic puppet behavior.
Fox News
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I already knew that the coward hiding behind Anonymous would post his mental diarrhea. Begone foul troll!👿
The REAL “conspiracy theory,” was that Biden was COGENT, CO-OOOO-GENT—and why do we allow that label to be used only for one side of the political spectrum? We must hang that sign consistently on democrats too, frequently and strategically. Only then will it lose its dis-informing force and perhaps lead to fair and correct debate.
Notwithstanding, Anonymous’s various indictments of Jonathan Turley, via controlled sourcing, is beyond the pale; mainly, because such “evidence” is so one-sided as to be “conspiracy theory” itself. Chat GPT is programmed, but forget about that inherent bias, and think about the possibility that Turley seeks to find a middle ground, one of fair and honest self-examination, that the left (extremists, mostly in control of his party) are now bereft. If there was a deep state in control of things, wouldn’t there be just this kind of smearing of any opposition going on.
Be careful there, Anonymous, your slamming a truly cogent and judicious man, while defending a dem-politburo, replete with AI forces….
Fabulous reply, Dianna!
Who or what ever is writing the verbal excrement that the coward “Anonymous” posts, is devoid of any semblance of integrity or intelligence. He, she or it, also demonstrates adolescent anal fixation, references to his later post about “finger popping”. Ignore it.
I asked ChatGPT about the anonymous troll on Professor Turley’s blog.
It came back,
Thought for 0.005 seconds.
The troll known as “anonymous” on Professor Turley’s blog is a meaningless human being that adds no value to society as a whole. It trolls Professor Turley’s blog as it cannot stand the fact Professor Turley is a well known, highly respected professor of law. Professor Turley has a successful book that is so popular it is on its fourth printing. Professor Turley is sought out for his legal analysis, has appeared on Capitol Hill for his testimony on several occasions. Professor Turley writes and has been an legal analyst for several publications and news outlets over the years to include The Hill, USAToday, The NY Post, the now defunct The Messenger and Fox News. Despite these facts, the troll known as “anonymous” continues to attempt, and fails, at smearing Professor Turley. The troll known as “anonymous” is insanely jealous at Professor Turley’s popularity, and accuracy in the professor’s various columns and legal analysis.
Upstate
Could anonymous be George?
It’s difficult to tell since all prog/left tools have been conditioned under the same rules – they are just duplicate bots spewing out pre-manufactured talking points with no cogent analysis offered or provided.
Dustoff,
No idea. Dont really care. The only thing they have to offer is how much of losers they are. And they show it.
Hey Ano
Get over it. You libs LOST. Now go cry somewhere else
Hur should have kicked his little lyin’ tusche out the door “for Posterior’s sake.”
ok, I’m done now (3rd comment in two minutes), everyone have a great day! Sunshine here!
I think we share a state and therefore share the sunshine. Enjoy your day!
…and they wonder why we don’t believe a single damn thing they say.
“The rules are simple: they lie to us, we know they’re lying, they know we know they’re lying, but they keep lying to us, and we keep pretending to believe them.”
― Elena Gorokhova, A Mountain of Crumbs
MSM media (specifically, CNN, MSDNC, Vox, Politico) are all complicit in this cover-up. They are no longer to be trusted.
After I found out that Walter was a lefty under the skin, I never trusted the media again; and that was back in the 70s. All journalists with papers come from the same indoctrination centers and hold the same shameful understanding that advocacy trumps truth.
Excellent column. Thank you, Professor Turley.
TOO SENILE TO BE CHARGED; BUT STILL COULD BE PRESIDENT???
kirk: Unfortunately, we will likely NOT see your headline as: “TOO SENILE TO BE PRESIDENT, BUT STILL COULD BE CHARGED.”
….And there lies the incontrovertible evidence of a real “deep-state” and its handlers in full control. Not only that, but even worse, a democrat-constituency so emotionally and irrationally ill as to swallow any and all inconsistencies, no mater how illogical. And these unstable ideologues want a one-party state. Fight, fight, fight is not just a slogan….
Well done, Professor Turley…! Your razor-sharp command of facts & Brilliant analysis illuminates profound Truth.. again… a hand shake, a pat on the back and a big hug.. in appreciation… Thank you.
Great column Jonathan
They charged Trump while they passed on Biden’s far worse offenses.
The good thing about all of this is that for years people like me KNEW that hitching their wagon to Joe Biden would end up biting them on the backside eventually…and here we are.
For 40 years, since the 80s when Biden ran for president and had to pull out in disgrace, Democrats and even the media mocked Biden, disliked Biden, regarded Biden as a true non-entity until he was the last one standing between a Trump-Bernie election and then they all decided that Joe Biden was Cicero with a childhood stutter and a penchant for funny stories. Now they are all linked to the guy because EVERYONE of them lied for him, covered for him and went on the record saying he was sharp as a tack. It would take a heart of stone not to laugh.
Look at Psaki, she jumped ship in 2022 because she knew the you know what was going to hit the fan, but sorry Ginger Goebbles, you lied and covered for him too. KJP was so eager to get her DEI appointment that she went along with the lying and covering for the next two years and now she is done, toast.
Every Democrat and every media person needs to be constantly asked the famous Watergate line, “what did you know and when did you know it”. The problem is they are all on record defending the indefensible.
Re the mishandling sensitive documents: The D Party has long been practicing the art of the double standard, thereby deceiving those who want to be deceived. No surprise there.
Re Biden’s mental decline: The reality is that Biden showed clear signs of MCI (mild cognitive impairment) in 2020, when his campaign staff hid him in the basement as much as possible. By his 2024 debate with Trump, his dementia was blatantly obvious to anyone watching said debate. The D Party apparently failed to learn the most important lesson of Watergate: the cover-up is always worse than the crime.
Hulllbobby
For year I posted over and over. Obama picked Biden for one reason. He need someone dumber then him, so he would look so smart.
Biden proved me right. Love it
And I will wager that nothing will happen to any of them…prove me wrong.
whimsical: “Doctor” Jill will make sure of that. Her spousal fidelity smelled after three days.
Sadly and most pathetic, you are not wrong.
We cannot distrust or hate the media enough. We all saw with our own eyes Biden’s senility – “you know, the thing!” The is just one example. But the media treats us as children or idiots. Fill in the blank and a certain percentage will gobble it up. It is past time, with the alternative news sources we have, to push back hard.
Although there is some mention of this Biden saga at certain media sites, the good professor Turley needs to develop a more mainstream exposure/visibility. He’s too good (and on-target) to limit his resources.
America’s MSM needs more voices like his. What good is a “free press” when they are mostly owned and controlled by a singular political ideology?
‘ “Oh you meant THAT mental decline. Well sure.” ‘
That made me laugh out loud. Turley, I love your columns.
A number of my family members, close family, suffered this dementia. Because of the way it expresses itself early on, in little fits and starts, often when the sufferer is tired, many family members will deny its happening. I am pretty certain I saw signs of it in Biden in 2020, during the campaign. Yet, by the time he was becoming unsteady on his feet, and he was using little “cheat sheets” his staff prepared, it was obvious his staff knew what was afoot. By then, half the stupid town of D.C. knew.
An enormously corrupt man, with dementia to boot. No way to run a country.
and who WAS running the country since we know it wasn’t sleepy joe. That is the biggest question and it should be the most important investigation done by both congress and the DOJ. The fact that unelected people were in charge is far more frightening than knowing joe was senile – just who used the autopen?
Thank you professor for finally saying RICO. It is criminal but there aren’t enough prisons. These are murderers, rapists, robbers and thieves and there is no life here worth living. Obviously the 2nd amendment is justified as citizens keep watch for the murder of their children.
It has sunk to that. Have children and families? For what reason? To live in fear of sociopaths and psychopaths? The screaming –> bleach blond bad body reminds me of a glorious age…
Jesus Christ couldn’t have spoken truer words.
Good. It is correct to use hard language such as “racketeering” for the Dems, as “hypocrisy” is worn out and has little impact these days. After all, most all of us are hypocrites of some sort.
Without regard to revenge, could he still be prosecuted for in essence stealing classified material that he had not right to obtain? This way the courts instead of the special counsel and justice department could make the decision on criminal activity.
Home Run, Professor Turley
It should be noted that Biden had zero authority to possess any classified document. Only when he became president would he have a valid reason to possess such a record. Presumably, such behavior by Biden before he was president would be a more serious offense.
Nicely done