Criticism of Robert Hur’s Report on Biden

Tommy Vietor, a former spokesman for Obama, expressed on social media that the backlash against Robert Hur’s report concerning President Joe Biden wasn’t entirely justified. He referenced insights from a new book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, titled “Original Sin: Biden’s Decline, Concealment, and His Disastrous Choice Running Again,” suggesting it’s crucial to understand the context provided in Hur’s work.

Initially, Vietor, along with others, criticized Hur’s statement about Biden being “an inappropriate Jim Comey-style editor.” However, he noted that the book had shifted his perspective. Vietor acknowledged, “This book helped me see how essential context is in talking about Biden’s decisions, and I think many of the critiques aimed at Hur, including mine, weren’t fully fair.”

He went on to say that while he finds Biden’s situation “complicated,” he believes there is clear evidence of a cognitive decline. The recently released audio from a conversation with Hur highlights concerns about Biden’s memory—particularly regarding significant events, including the passing of his son, Beau.

Vietor had previously labeled Hur’s assertions about Biden’s memory, particularly concerning the day Beau died, as “outrageous lies” and “cruel,” arguing that such profound loss is something no one forgets. He recalled, “Anyone who’s faced that kind of grief has vivid memories associated with it.”

In a conversation on a podcast, Vietor described the early reading of the book as “furious” and expressed disinterest in contacting Biden anymore after his reflections on the topic.

Audio from the interview with Hur, as reported recently, showed Biden struggling to recall critical memories and raised questions about his decision-making during his vice presidency.