By Sam Cabral and Madeline HalpertBBC News on Capitol Hill and from New York
Getty ImagesDemocrats are defending President Joe Biden after a report on his handling of classified documents raised concerns about his age and mental health.
Mr. Biden will not be charged for keeping classified documents, but the report describes him as an “older, well-meaning man with a poor memory.”
Vice President Kamala Harris called the description “gratuitous, inaccurate and inappropriate.”
She also said the prosecutor was “clearly politically motivated.”
Robert Hur, a Donald Trump appointee who previously worked under two well-known conservative judges, was named last year to lead the investigation into Biden’s classified documents.
His selection by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland in January came as the Justice Department faced criticism from Republicans over the appointment of a separate special counsel to investigate Donald Trump’s alleged mishandling of top cases. secrets.
But Mr. Hur’s publicly released report included a letter from the White House requesting that comments on the president’s memory be revised “in a manner that is within the bounds of your expertise and competence.”
Ms. Harris, who previously served as a prosecutor, echoed those criticisms at a news conference on Friday.
“The manner in which the president’s behavior has been characterized in this report could not be more erroneous based on the facts and clearly politically motivated,” she said.
“When it comes to the role and responsibility of a prosecutor in a situation like this, we should expect a higher level of integrity.”
Democratic allies on Capitol Hill also told the BBC they believed Mr Hur’s comments went beyond the scope of the investigation.
“I think it was a totally inappropriate way to approach the mission and the role of the special counsel,” said Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon.
“It’s a shame he wandered into such inappropriate territory.”
Tina Smith of Minnesota called Mr. Hur’s comments “outrageous” and “despicable,” accusing him of “blatantly politicizing” his role as special adviser.
Since launching his re-election campaign, Mr. Biden has been plagued by concerns about his age and mental capacity.
He is 81, a few years older than the favored Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump, 77.
This report did little to allay voters’ concerns. It alleged Mr Biden could not remember when his son Beau died of cancer or when he was vice president during interviews with investigators.
But Democrats who spoke to the BBC on Friday said they were not concerned about the president’s mental faculties.
Summing up his findings on the report, Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia said: “No charges are recommended. Unusual comments that deviate from what would generally be expected in a focused and substantive report. In the end, just noise. »
The youngest member of the Senate, Mr. Ossoff stressed that he had spent “a lot of time” with the president in recent months.
“I found him lively, focused, impressive, formidable and efficient,” he said.
Mr. Ossoff’s colleagues agreed, including Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland, who called the president “thoughtful and experienced” during a news conference Friday.
Democrats remain “absolutely confident” in the president, he said. “We want to stay with someone who understands what this country needs.”
But some of his counterparts across the aisle said Mr. Hur’s observations had fueled a growing perception that Mr. Biden was not up to the job of president.
“He’s trying to do his best, and his best is starting to concern me,” North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis told the BBC.
“I don’t care if you’re 78 or 178, if you want to be the leader of the free world, you have to be on your game 100 percent,” the moderate Republican said.
Concerns about Mr Biden’s age are “an ongoing problem” for his re-election campaign, Larry Sabato, director of the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia, told the BBC.
Experts have noted that polls suggest Mr. Trump does not face as much criticism from voters over his age, despite gaffes similar to Mr. Biden’s on the campaign trail.
In recent months, Mr. Biden and Mr. Trump have made a series of public mistakes while speaking publicly, repeatedly confusing the names of world leaders and American politicians.
But Mr. Trump’s bombastic style and “constant offensive posture” could fuel the image of a more energetic candidate, said Chris Borick, director of the Public Opinion Institute at Muhlenberg College.
Concerns about Mr. Trump’s age “don’t seem to persist in the same way,” he said.
But for Mr. Biden, his campaign will need to focus on combating the perception that he is not mentally fit for office.
“The report adds to the intensity of (Biden’s) efforts to overcome what is undoubtedly a significant obstacle to his campaign,” Borick said.
