Biden's blundering debate reignites calls for release of Hur tapes
Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance has reignited demands for the Department of Justice to release the tapes of his special counsel interview that called the president an 'elderly' man with a 'poor memory.' Tapes of the infamous interview have been requested by GOP lawmakers who are probing the commander-in-chief's competence.
Instead of giving the audio tapes to lawmakers, the DOJ provided a transcript of the interview, prompting the GOP's vote to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress last month for 'concealing' the requested materials. Republicans say only the tapes will provide more damning evidence of the president's diminished cognitive ability which was in the spotlight during the first presidential debate.
'This is why they don't want Congress to have that audio tape,' Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., told reporters last week after Biden's age became the central issue during the debate. 'If it's the same, then why is the audio sacred but everybody can get a transcript?' Donalds said. 'Watching tonight, that is exactly why the American people should hear the Robert Hur audio from his interview with Joe Biden.'
Republicans have sought the audio tape for months since the DOJ report was published in early February. However, the White House has invoked executive privilege over the audio tapes, effectively blocking the DOJ from handing them over. During the interview, special counsel Robert Hur said that Biden could not remember the dates of his son Beau's death and other key moments of his life and work as vice president.
Attorney General Merrick Garland has received the scorn of Republicans over his repeated refusal to give the audio. His withholding the tapes prompted Republican lawmakers to hold the top law enforcement official in contempt of Congress.
By doing so the GOP members forwarded recommendation of contempt charges against Garland to his DOJ , and the department is likely going to ignore their request to bring a case against the agency's boss. As a result, Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., cooked up a different plan to try and force Garland to comply by filing an 'inherent contempt resolution,' which would direct the top congressional security agent, the Sergeant-at-Arms, to arrest the Attorney General.
But Republicans have been hesitant to go so far as to put the resolution up for a vote. Luna said the inherent contempt charge would get a vote Friday, but that did not happen. She later said she would work with House leadership on a path forward for the measure. On Monday, text of her inherent contempt resolution was released showing that instead of seeking the Sergeant-at-Arms to arrest Garland, that he would instead be fined $10,000 per day.
It is unclear when the resolution would receive a vote on the House floor. Regardless, the GOP have yet another plan to try and get ahold of the audio tapes. 'President Biden showed last night that he was weak, sadly, that he is feeble,' Speaker Mike Johnson,R-La., said Friday after the debate. 'He will very likely sound exactly on that tape as he did on the stage last night and that's embarrassing to the President.'
Johnson said Friday that Republicans will move to get the tapes by suing the DOJ for their release. He said the lawsuit would be filed on Monday. Responding to Johnson's threat, the DOJ claimed that Garland has not broken the law.
