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In a newly surfaced audio clip, former President Joe Biden appears to struggle with recalling critical dates in his life, including the death of his son Beau. Initially provided to Axios, the recording is from former special counsel Robert Hur's probe into Biden's handling of classified documents post-vice presidency. This interview occurred shortly after the Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023.

The excerpts released by Axios reveal Biden pausing multiple times and seemingly having difficulty remembering specifics, such as his tenure as vice president, the commencement of Donald Trump's presidency, and the date of his son's passing. The interview lasted over five hours, resulting in Hur's detailed 345-page report submitted to the Department of Justice. The report was released publicly in February 2024, followed by the Biden administration providing the full transcript to Congress a month later.

Kelly Scully, Biden’s spokesperson, emphasized that the transcripts had been released over a year ago, arguing that the audio clip does not divulge any new information. The Biden administration had previously resisted releasing the audio itself, citing executive privilege. This resistance led to former Attorney General Merrick Garland being held in contempt of Congress by House Republicans due to his refusal to release the recording.

ABC News has noted that the Trump administration was prepared to publish the full audio, dismissing the Biden administration's concerns that such disclosures might deter future high-profile individuals from cooperating in investigations. The release follows reports and books alleging attempts by Biden and his team to shield aspects of his mental capabilities during his presidency. Although ABC News has not independently acquired the audio clip, a White House official directed them to the Axios recordings. It remains unclear how Axios accessed the audio from a sealed criminal investigation.

In a related matter, the Trump administration has resisted releasing former special counsel Jack Smith's report on Trump’s handling of classified documents after his presidency in 2021, which led to Trump receiving 40 criminal charges related to alleged mishandling of national defense information and obstruction.