Release of 2023 Biden recording renews debate on his capabilities

Former U.S. President Joe Biden departs Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Jan. 20. | ERIN SCHAFF photo

Wires
May 18, 2025

WASHINGTON – A newly published recording of former U.S. president Joe Biden speaking hesitantly and struggling to remember key events and dates has fueled renewed debate over his mental capabilities while still in office.

The four-minute audio clip, obtained by news outlet Axios and published Saturday, coincides with the upcoming release of a book that alleges White House staff covered up Biden's decline even as he was seeking reelection.

The clip was taken from two October 2023 interviews with former special counsel Robert Hur, who was investigating whether Biden had criminally mishandled public records after leaving office as vice president to Barack Obama.