BOMBSHELL: Hur Tapes Expose Biden's Mental Decline During Final Presidential Days

Paul Riverbank, 5/19/2025Hur interview tapes reveal Biden's cognitive decline, raising questions about final presidential decisions.

The Political Aftershocks of the Biden-Hur Tapes

The release of former President Joe Biden's interview recordings with Special Counsel Robert Hur has sent tremors through Washington's political establishment. Having reviewed these tapes extensively, I'm struck by how they've fundamentally altered our understanding of the final chapter of the Biden presidency.

Let me be direct: These recordings are troubling. During my 25 years covering presidential politics, I've rarely encountered such raw evidence of a commander-in-chief's cognitive struggles. The former president's difficulty recalling details about his son Beau's death - a moment he'd previously described with crystal clarity - stands out as particularly significant.

What's especially noteworthy isn't just Biden's verbal stumbles or the long pauses between responses. It's the Justice Department's kid-glove handling of the interview process. Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch puts it bluntly - Biden was "mollycoddled." While I typically resist such charged language, the audio evidence makes this characterization difficult to dismiss.

The timing couldn't be more problematic. These revelations have cast a shadow over Biden's final presidential actions, particularly that unprecedented wave of pardons issued just before Trump's return to office. Rep. James Comer's investigation into the administration's use of autopens raises legitimate questions about executive authority and decision-making capacity.

I've spent the past week speaking with legal scholars about those eleventh-hour pardons. Their scope is remarkable - covering family members, Dr. Fauci, Gen. Milley, and others. One former federal prosecutor told me off the record, "In 30 years, I've never seen pardons drafted with such surgical precision. It's as if they were written by someone who knew exactly what future investigations might uncover."

The fallout has reached former AG Merrick Garland, who's facing intense scrutiny over the delayed release of these tapes. While conservative voices like Mark Levin are calling for congressional testimony, I'd argue the more significant story is the Justice Department's institutional decision-making during this period.

Here's what's fascinating: Democratic insiders are starting to break ranks, albeit quietly. At a dinner in Georgetown last week, a senior party strategist confided, "We knew. We all knew. But nobody wanted to be the one to say it out loud." This reluctance to confront obvious challenges may indeed haunt the party's prospects in 2028.

The implications extend far beyond partisan politics. We're in uncharted territory regarding presidential succession and executive authority. These tapes don't just document one president's decline - they expose gaps in our constitutional framework for handling such situations.

As this story continues to unfold, one thing is clear: The American political system is being tested in ways the founders never anticipated. The question isn't just about Joe Biden anymore - it's about how we as a nation handle questions of presidential capacity in an age of unprecedented transparency.

The Political Aftershocks of the Biden-Hur TapesThe release of former President Joe Biden's interview recordings with Special Counsel Robert Hur has sent tremors through Washington's political establishment. Having reviewed these tapes extensively, I'm struck by how they've fundamentally altered our understanding of the final chapter of the Biden presidency.Let me be direct: These recordings are troubling. During my 25 years covering presidential politics, I've rarely encountered such raw evidence of a commander-in-chief's cognitive struggles. The former president's difficulty recalling details about his son Beau's death - a moment he'd previously described with crystal clarity - stands out as particularly significant.What's especially noteworthy isn't just Biden's verbal stumbles or the long pauses between responses. It's the Justice Department's kid-glove handling of the interview process. Tom Fitton of Judicial Watch puts it bluntly - Biden was "mollycoddled." While I typically resist such charged language, the audio evidence makes this characterization difficult to dismiss.The timing couldn't be more problematic. These revelations have cast a shadow over Biden's final presidential actions, particularly that unprecedented wave of pardons issued just before Trump's return to office. Rep. James Comer's investigation into the administration's use of autopens raises legitimate questions about executive authority and decision-making capacity.I've spent the past week speaking with legal scholars about those eleventh-hour pardons. Their scope is remarkable - covering family members, Dr. Fauci, Gen. Milley, and others. One former federal prosecutor told me off the record, "In 30 years, I've never seen pardons drafted with such surgical precision. It's as if they were written by someone who knew exactly what future investigations might uncover."The fallout has reached former AG Merrick Garland, who's facing intense scrutiny over the delayed release of these tapes. While conservative voices like Mark Levin are calling for congressional testimony, I'd argue the more significant story is the Justice Department's institutional decision-making during this period.Here's what's fascinating: Democratic insiders are starting to break ranks, albeit quietly. At a dinner in Georgetown last week, a senior party strategist confided, "We knew. We all knew. But nobody wanted to be the one to say it out loud." This reluctance to confront obvious challenges may indeed haunt the party's prospects in 2028.The implications extend far beyond partisan politics. We're in uncharted territory regarding presidential succession and executive authority. These tapes don't just document one president's decline - they expose gaps in our constitutional framework for handling such situations.As this story continues to unfold, one thing is clear: The American political system is being tested in ways the founders never anticipated. The question isn't just about Joe Biden anymore - it's about how we as a nation handle questions of presidential capacity in an age of unprecedented transparency.