"Trying to Win Trump's Favor"... US Democrats Launch Special Prosecutor's Fierce Attack on Biden's Memory

Robert Hur, the federal special prosecutor who described President Joe Biden as a "senile old man," appeared at a U.S. congressional hearing on the 12th (local time). The Republicans summoned Hur to highlight Biden's age-related risks ahead of his re-election bid this November. The Democrats fiercely criticized Hur, accusing him of making political decisions to curry favor with former President Donald Trump.

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At the House Judiciary Committee hearing, Hur stated that he did not find evidence of the president's illegal activities beyond a reasonable doubt, which led to the decision not to prosecute Biden.

Regarding the controversial issue of Biden's memory problems mentioned in the report, Hur explained, "Without assessing the president's mental state, it was impossible to determine whether sensitive materials were deliberately mishandled." He added, "For this reason, the president's memory and overall mental condition had to be considered," and "It was also necessary to consider how jurors in a criminal trial might perceive the president's memory and mental state."

He emphasized, "My judgment in the report regarding whether the president's memory was adequate was necessary, accurate, and fair."

Previously, Hur had been investigating allegations that President Biden leaked White House classified documents to his personal office during his vice presidency. In the investigative report released on the 8th of last month, Hur concluded that prosecution was not warranted, while raising concerns about the cognitive abilities of the 81-year-old president. The report noted that Biden could not recall the years he served as vice president and also failed to remember when his eldest son, Beau Biden, passed away. It further argued that a jury might perceive Biden as a "senile old man without malicious intent," making a guilty verdict unlikely, which sparked controversy.

The full transcript of Biden's investigative testimony prepared by Hur was also disclosed at the hearing.

Both the Republican and Democratic parties attacked Hur. The Republicans focused on Biden's memory issues during the hearing but criticized Hur for not prosecuting the president, pointing out a double standard compared to former President Trump, who was indicted for leaking classified information during his tenure. However, the investigative report by Hur has dealt a blow to Biden, much to the Republicans' quiet satisfaction.

The Democrats launched a fierce counterattack, accusing Hur of making a political decision to question Biden's cognitive abilities in order to gain favor with former President Trump. Hur previously served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland during the Trump administration.

The Democrats' sensitive reaction to Hur's report stems from the fact that age-related risks are becoming an obstacle to Biden's re-election campaign. According to a poll conducted by the American financial daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) at the end of last month, 73% of respondents said Biden was "too old" to run for re-election.

Meanwhile, Hur is a Korean-American born to Korean immigrant parents in New York. In his opening remarks at the hearing, he stated, "As the son of immigrants to this country and the first in my family born here, I have carried out this role with a grateful heart."

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