Attorney General Merrick Garland shut down a reporter Thursday questioning if he should’ve edited language describing President Biden’s memory in Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report, calling that suggestion “absurd.”
NBC correspondent Ken Dilanian asked Garland about the criticism he’s faced from the White House over how the former special counsel described Biden’s faltering memory in his report looking into the president’s handling of classified documents. White House sources were reportedly upset that Garland did not “demand edits” of the portions describing Biden as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”
Dilanian asked Garland if he felt Hur’s language describing Biden’s mental state was “appropriate.”
The DOJ official defended the report, and said the idea that he should’ve censored the report was “absurd.”
WHITE HOUSE ALLEGEDLY BLAMES GARLAND FOR DAMNING SPECIAL COUNSEL CLAIMS ABOUT BIDEN: REPORT
“The idea that an attorney general would edit or redact or censor the special counsel’s explanation for why the special counsel reached the decision that the special counsel did – that’s absurd,” he retorted during a DOJ press conference on Thursday.
The AG’s statement mirrors comments made by the Justice Department last month defending the report as “consistent with legal requirements and Department policy” after the White House sent a pointed letter to the agency.
The reporter’s question was referring to a recent Politico report which claimed President Biden told aides and advisers that Garland did not do enough to rein in the report’s mentions of his alleged memory issues.
“Biden and his closest advisers believe Hur went well beyond his purview and was gratuitous and misleading in his descriptions, according to the insiders, who were granted anonymity to speak freely,” the Politico report stated, adding that the administration is putting “part of the blame” on Garland.
NO CHARGES FOR BIDEN AFTER SPECIAL COUNSEL PROBE INTO IMPROPER HANDLING OF CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS
The DOJ official appointed Hur as the special counsel to investigate President Biden’s handling of classified documents dating back to the Obama administration just over a year ago.
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The case morphed from a mere review into a full-blown special counsel investigation once a second stash of documents was found inside the garage of Biden’s Wilmington, Delaware, home.
Hur drew backlash from the White House and liberal media outlets after he described Biden in the report as “a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” who couldn’t remember significant life events.
Fox News’ Gabriel Hays, Anders Hagstrom, Sarah Rumpf-Whitten and David Spunt contributed to this report.
