Grassley’s Remarks on Biden’s Legacy

In the latest episode of “Podforce One,” Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) expressed concerns regarding former President Joe Biden’s legacy, attributing some of it to family influence and Biden’s current mental and physical state.

Grassley remarked, “From what I see, he doesn’t appear to be running the White House effectively—at least not in the way one might expect.” Despite this, he acknowledged Biden’s historical role as an effective senator and president, especially in his earlier years. Grassley, who has been in the Senate since 1980, noted his long history with Biden.

Reflecting on their time in the Senate together, Grassley mentioned, “I got along well with him. I never thought he was corrupt or incompetent. Our relationship was solid for 28 years.” However, he seemed to hint at a distinction between the Biden he knew as a senator and the man who later became president.

Grassley pointed out changes in Biden after he left the Senate in 2008 to become Barack Obama’s vice president, saying he had notably altered “both physically and mentally.”

In reference to Biden’s administration, Grassley mentioned Iowa Republicans noting that there had only been “one face-to-face meeting” between Biden and the state’s party during his presidency. “What you see on TV has changed a lot since he was in the Senate,” Grassley added.

“If you think you know someone well, it’s hard to reconcile that with the current situation,” he said, admitting, “I might have been a bit naive in how I viewed President Biden compared to Senator Biden.”

Grassley is known for his thorough investigations and was among the first to disclose substantial financial dealings involving Hunter Biden and foreign associates during his father’s vice presidency. He has pressured FBI Director Christopher Ray for information on alleged payments to informants related to these dealings.

He remarked on the informant, Alexander Smirnov, who was accused of providing false information to law enforcement but had a history of being compensated by the FBI for over a decade. According to Grassley, special advisor David Weiss did not pursue further charges against Hunter Biden for failing to register as a foreign agent during business activities overseas.

Grassley also touched upon Hunter Biden’s past legal troubles, indicating he was not surprised by the leniency shown to Hunter regarding various allegations, including tax issues and firearm possession. “That shouldn’t have happened, and it shouldn’t be seen as proof of his guilt,” he stated.