White House Accuses Special Counsel Hur of 'Playing Politics' With Biden Report

The White House is criticizing Thursday’s report from Special Counsel Robert Hur on President Joe Biden’s handling of classified documents and accusing Hur of “playing politics.”

For Context: Hur’s investigation centered on classified documents found in Biden's Delaware home and his Penn Biden Center office in Washington, D.C. Although no criminal charges were recommended, Hur’s report notes Biden’s memory lapses. In one line from the report receiving considerable media attention, Biden is described as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”

Key Quotes: Ian Sams, the White House spokesman for oversight and investigations, said during a press briefing, “We are in a very pressurized political environment and when you are the first special counsel in history not to indict anybody there is pressure to criticize and to make statements that maybe you otherwise wouldn't make.” NBC News (Lean Left bias) quoted an unnamed “Biden ally” stating that Biden’s supporters view the report as a “cheap shot” and accused Hur of “playing politics.” Vice President Kamala Harris called the report “clearly politically motivated.”

How the Media Covered It: Media coverage across the spectrum is focusing on the defensive response from the Biden White House and supporters. NBC News focused on White House officials’ statements discrediting the report and questioning Hur’s motivations, adding to the narrative that the report was influenced by politics. The Daily Caller (Right bias) emphasized Biden’s mistakes and memory lapses as chronicled in Hur’s report, adding to the narrative of Biden’s declining mental capacities.

This summary was developed with the help of AllSides' AI technology.