The Blubber

President Joe Biden has blocked the release of audio recordings of his interviews from the investigation into his handling of classified files, asserting executive privilege, according to a letter from the Justice Department to Republicans in Congress.

The Republicans had demanded the release of the president's interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur, whose report was released in February. While Hur did not pursue a criminal case against Biden, he raised questions about the president's age and memory, describing him as a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."

Biden strongly responded to this characterization, stating, "I know what the hell I'm doing. I don't need his recommendation."

In a letter to the chairmen of the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, the Justice Department stated that the recordings would not be released, citing executive privilege, which shields some executive branch records from public disclosure.

Attorney General Merrick Garland, who leads the department, criticized "unprecedented and unfounded attacks" on the Justice Department from House Republicans and confirmed that the tapes fall within the scope of executive privilege.

Garland's decision is likely to lead to him being held in contempt of Congress. Biden confirmed the decision to withhold the tapes in a separate letter from his White House counsel, accusing Republicans of seeking to distort the recordings for partisan purposes.

Hur's report followed a year-long inquiry into Biden's alleged mishandling of classified documents after leaving the vice presidency in 2017. The report stated that Biden struggled to recall details relevant to the investigation and milestones in his life, including the years of his vice presidency and the death of his oldest son. Republicans highlighted these findings as evidence of concerns about Biden's age and mental acuity, while Vice President Kamala Harris characterized Hur's report as "clearly politically motivated."