In 2023, President Joe Biden, when questioned by Mark Crickbaum, who is part of special advisor Robert Herr’s team, made comments about handwritten notes related to Afghanistan from the Obama era. He mentioned to his ghostwriter for “Promise Me, Dad,” that he “found all sorts of things downstairs” but added, “I don’t remember.”
Recently, an audio file released by Axios revealed Biden repeatedly saying, “I don’t remember” during his second interview in October 2023, acknowledging that he had documents in his possession that he should not have had since taking office.
In a conversation, he acknowledged he mentioned to Mark that he “just found everything” and referred to “classifications downstairs,” leaving things sort of vague. It seems there’s some curiosity about the extent of his recollections.
Biden’s responses included, “I don’t remember,” followed by a pointed, “And I’m not supposed to guess, right?” His lawyer, Bob Bauer, chimed in, perhaps adding pressure to clarify matters. The former president then seemed to mumble something like, “So, okay, well, I don’t remember; maybe it was – I just don’t recall.”
At one point, he discussed a handwritten note intended for former President Obama. He seemed uncertain but said he could have written it—though specifics were murky. Zwonitzer, presumably aiming for clarity, tried to nail down whether Biden found the documents at home or had spoken about it back in 2017 while working on the book.
Biden then stumbled through his words, saying, “No, the only thing I remember is that I didn’t want him to find out about the note to Barack.” It became clear he wasn’t implying confidentiality regarding classification—rather, he didn’t want it included in his memoir about his son Beau.
They also had a rather casual discussion about libraries and boxes in his garage, with Biden admitting he was clueless about the specifics, mentioning something about “where was hell?” which added a humorous touch to the seriousness of the discussion.
Biden said, “I’m not looking for something; I’m just trying to edit things.” That seemed to indicate perhaps he was a bit overwhelmed. The White House had earlier released a transcript, but the unedited audio, which still circulated, raised questions regarding his mental condition.
In an investigation led by Hur, it was determined that Biden mishandled confidential documents related to military and foreign policies, yet the investigation concluded he wouldn’t face charges regarding this or other national security matters.
After Hur characterized him as an “elderly man with sympathetic and well-meaning memories,” Biden responded, “I’m well-meaning, I’m an elderly man, and I know what the hell I’m doing. I was the president. I’ve recovered this country. I don’t need his recommendation.”
