WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Attorney General Merrick Garland told lawmakers on Tuesday that President Joe Biden has shown no signs of cognitive impairment while defending Biden's ability to serve as commander in chief.
Garland, appearing before a House committee overseeing funding for the Justice Department, was answering questions on from about Biden鈥檚 handling of classified material. Hur's report concluded in no criminal charges yet made some observations about Biden's mental state that and his aides.
The attorney general, while stressing that he was not commenting on the specifics of Hur鈥檚 analysis, said that based on his own observations while interacting with Biden, he has 鈥渃omplete confidence in the president鈥 when it comes to questions about his mental fitness.
鈥淚 have seen the president effectively guide the members of the department, of his Cabinet, and his military,鈥 Garland said in response to questions from Rep. Ben Cline, R-Va. The attorney general added: 鈥淭he president has no impairment.鈥
As Cline prodded him further, Garland stressed again: 鈥淚 have complete confidence in the president, and I reject your characterization.鈥
Hur said in , released in February, that prosecutors would likely not be able to prove a criminal case against Biden beyond a reasonable doubt when it came to the president鈥檚 alleged mishandling of classified documents. In one line from the report, Hur found that Biden would 鈥渓ikely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.鈥
Biden angrily insisted in response that his memory is fine, and he was especially infuriated about Hur鈥檚 mention of him apparently being confused over the timing of .
Garland was appearing before the House committee to testify on the Justice Department's budget request.
