President Joe Biden is reportedly frustrated with Attorney General Merrick Garland over the release of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s mental acuity. According to Politico, sources close to the president have revealed that Biden believes Garland should have taken steps to rein in the report before it was made public. The report cleared Biden of any wrongdoing in his handling of classified documents but included descriptions of his “poor memory” that have caused damage control efforts from his administration and supporters.
Biden and his closest advisers feel that Hur went beyond his mandate and provided misleading information in his report, according to anonymous sources cited by Politico. The blame for the situation is partially being placed on Garland. The attorney general appointed Hur as the special counsel over a year ago to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents dating back to the Obama administration. The investigation turned into a full-blown special counsel probe when a second set of documents was discovered in Biden’s Delaware home garage, in addition to the documents found at the Penn Biden Center think tank in Washington.
The Politico report highlights that Biden and his team believe Garland should have requested edits to Hur’s report, particularly regarding the descriptions of Biden’s memory issues. The frustration with Garland runs deep, with many senior advisers reportedly doubting whether he would remain in his position for a potential second term. A source quoted by Politico stated, “This has been building for a while. No one is happy.”
The article also touches on other points of contention between Biden and Garland, including the length of the special counsel investigation into Hunter Biden and the pace of investigations into former President Donald Trump’s actions. Biden privately expressed frustration over the duration of the probe into his son, fearing it could negatively impact Hunter Biden’s well-being. The president also believed that Garland should not have authorized a special counsel to investigate his son, viewing it as a response to external pressure. Additionally, Biden has voiced frustration over Garland’s perceived slow progress in the investigations into Trump.
The White House and the Department of Justice did not respond immediately to requests for comment on the matter.
In conclusion, President Biden’s frustration with Attorney General Garland over the release of the Special Counsel’s report on his mental acuity is causing strain between the two. Biden and his advisers believe that Garland should have intervened to prevent the report’s damaging descriptions of Biden’s memory issues. This frustration adds to existing tensions between Biden and Garland, including disagreements over the length of the Hunter Biden investigation and the pace of investigations into Trump. The situation raises questions about Garland’s future in the administration, with senior advisers expressing doubts about his potential for a second term.
