‘Politically motivated’: Kamala Harris slams Special Counsel Hur's report on Biden's age and memory
US Vice President Kamala Harris slammed Donald Trump-appointed Robert Hur for making “gratuitous, inaccurate and inappropriate” remarks against Joe Biden.
As Republicans rush to call for Joe Biden’s Department of Justice Special Counsel's report, Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday slammed Donald Trump-appointed Robert Hur for making “gratuitous, inaccurate and inappropriate” remarks against the US President. She called his report on Biden's handling of classified documents “clearly politically motivated”.
“As a former prosecutor, the comments that were made by that prosecutor: gratuitous, inaccurate and inappropriate,” Harris, who is the running mate of Biden in 2024 presidential elections, said while speaking to repoters. "The way that the president's demeanor in that report was characterized could not be more wrong on the facts, and clearly politically motivated, gratuitous."
"And so I will say, that when it comes to the role and responsibility of a prosecutor in a situation like that, we should expect, that there would be a higher level of integrity, than what we saw," she added.
Also Read: Emotional US President Joe Biden defends his ‘memory’ in surprise speech: ‘…when my son died’
White House official blames Republicans for 'pressurised' Hur's report
During a press briefing, White House Counsel spokesperson Ian Sams attempted to refute the conclusions of the alarming special counsel report that raised questions about Biden's age and mental health. Citing "a pressurised political environment", he said Republicans have "made up claims of a two-tiered system of justice between Republicans and Democrats".
"When the inevitable conclusion is that the facts and the evidence don't support any charges, you're left to wonder why this report spends time making gratuitous and inappropriate criticisms of the president," Sams stated.
Sams disputed the claims about Biden's memory loss, claiming that the evidence was incoherent. He mentioned page 233 of the report, which states that "we expect the evidence of Mr. Biden's state of mind to be compelling − clear, forceful testimony that he did, in fact, believe he was allowed” to keep notebooks containing classified information in the event that a case against him goes to trial.
"I can't explain why the report veers all over the place on this issue," he stated.
Also Read: ‘Get ready for Michelle Obama’: Ramaswamy reacts to Robert Hur's ‘alarming’ report on Joe Biden
Special counsel’s assessment of Biden’s mental fitness sparks debate
Hur delivered a report on Thursday after an inquiry into Biden's handling of sensitive papers found at his Delaware home and the Penn Biden Center office in Washington, D.C.
In the report, he stated that there was insufficient evidence "to establish Mr. Biden's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt," but the report did not recommend filing any charges against Biden. It did, however, mention that Biden "willfully retained and disclosed," classified documents during his tenure as former President Barack Obama's vice president.
"Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," the report said.
The report also highlights that Biden, during interviews with the Special Counsel, "did not remember when he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended," and that "he did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died."
As the report sparked debate around Biden's memory loss and mental fitness to continue to run the office, Republican legislators called for his resignation, stating that he is “unfit” to hold office.
They contended that the 25th Amendment, which is meant to render the president incapable of holding office, should now be put into effect.
ABOUT THE AUTHORShweta KukretiShweta Kukreti has over 8 years of experience in covering Indian and world politics. She joined the Hindustan Times in 2024 and is primarily assigned to the US desk. She currently works as Deputy Chief Content Producer and reports on a wide range of topics, including US politics, immigration issues (especially H-1B visa) and major global events. Shweta strongly emphasizes team operations, which encompasses monitoring news, delegating tasks, editing, developing comprehensive coverage strategies, and crafting engaging, and data-informed narratives. She received the Digi Star Award at the Hindustan Times within a year of joining for her broad coverage of US politics. In 2025, she earned both a promotion and a redesignation, a significant achievement recognising her contributions and the strong value she brings to the team. She has previously worked with the Indian Express, HTDS, ANI and Republic World. Seniors in all the media organisations recognised her work. Regarding education, she earned a BA (Hons.) in Political Science and a master's degree from Delhi University, and she pursued a PG Diploma in English Journalism from the Indian Institution of Mass Communication (IIMC). She also holds a diploma in Women's Empowerment and Development from IGNOU University and a French certification course from Alliance Française de Delhi. If not working, you can find her exploring the hills and engaging in adventurous activities in Rishikesh and Himachal Pradesh. She loves to play badminton, volleyball, and chess, and spend time with her friends and family. She also enjoys spiritual activities.Read More

E-Paper


