Biden Finally Addresses His Classified Documents Scandal with Statement That Won't Help His Case
President Joe Biden continued his unbroken chain of making cringeworthy statements that undermine public confidence in his leadership.
In the latest snafu, the 80-year-old career politician dug himself into a deeper hole while responding to a question about a trove of classified documents being discovered in a private office of the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, D.C., that he used after his vice presidential service.
The documents — which were clearly marked classified and even “Top Secret” — included sensitive intel on Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Iran, according to CNN. The stash was from Biden’s eight years as the vice president of the United States.
At a news conference Wednesday for the North American Leaders’ Summit in Mexico, the president said he doesn’t know why classified papers were lying around in his former office at the Penn Biden Center.
Even more shockingly, Biden said he had no idea what was in the classified trove.
“People know I take classified documents and classified information seriously,” he said. “When my lawyers were clearing out my office at the University of Pennsylvania, they set up an office for me — a secure office in the Capitol, when I — the four years after being vice president, I was a professor at Penn.
“They found some documents in a box — you know, a locked cabinet, or at least a closet. And as soon as they did, they realized there were several classified documents in that box. And they did what they should have done: They immediately called the Archives — immediately called the Archives — turned them over to the Archives.”
Biden continued: “And I was briefed about this discovery and surprised to learn that there were any government records that were taken there to that office.
“But I don’t know what’s in the documents. I’ve — my lawyers have not suggested I ask what documents they were. I’ve turned over the boxes — they’ve turned over the boxes to the Archives. And we’re cooperating fully — cooperating fully with the review and — which I hope will be finished soon, and will be more detail at that time.”
While it’s not surprising that Biden had no idea he had a stash of sensitive documents lying around somewhere, it’s alarming that he said he doesn’t even know what kind of intel they contain.
Keep in mind that before he served two terms as vice president, Biden was a U.S. senator for 36 years. You would think that after five decades in politics, he would know how to handle classified intel.
The fact that he had no knowledge of what was happening around him certainly fits with his reputation, but his cluelessness is alarming because it means there could be more of his classified documents out there — potentially in nefarious hands.
Just as disturbing is the revelation that the documents were found six days before the November midterm elections but the discovery was not made public until this week.
Statement from White House Counsel’s Office on cooperation with the National Archives: pic.twitter.com/Wu55efv1DE
— Ian Sams (@IanSams46) January 9, 2023
As a reminder, Biden excoriated former President Donald Trump after classified documents were reportedly found at his Florida home in August.
“How that could possibly happen?” Biden told CBS News’ “60 Minutes” in September. “How anyone could be that irresponsible?”
Not surprisingly, the octogenarian has not been as critical of himself following his own debacle.
But then again, accountability has never been Biden’s strong suit.
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