Robert Hur’s report into Joe Biden’s handling of classified materials gave congressional Republicans a potent political weapon, even if it wasn’t the one they were expecting.
While the special counsel declined to pursue a criminal case against the president, his report’s characterisation of Biden as a “well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory”, as well as its cited instances of his inability to recall questioned events, exacerbated concerns by many Americans about his age and mental faculties.
In today’s Hur hearing, expect Republicans to hunt for more embarrassing and potentially damaging details. They’ve been seeking access to the transcripts and videos of Biden’s interview with investigators – but Hur’s first-hand accounts could be the next best thing.
Democrats may try to paint Hur – appointed as a US attorney by Donald Trump before being assigned to this investigation by Biden’s attorney general – as a partisan prosecutor with an axe to grind.
Citing Justice Department guidelines, they are likely to say that Hur should not have engaged in such sweeping conclusions about Biden’s mental state.
As is typical of these types of high-profile hearings, the two sides will talk past each other, playing largely for the cameras, each hoping to find a moment or exchange that sway public opinion.
