Biden’s memory lapses confirmed in newly released audio

A newly released audio recording, according to The Guardian of Saturday, May 17, 2025, sheds further light on concerns about Joe Biden’s memory during his presidency.

The audio, published by Axios, captures moments from Biden’s October 2023 interview with special counsel Robert Hur regarding his handling of classified documents.

During the interview, Biden appears to struggle with recalling key dates.

These included the year his son Beau died (2015) and when Donald Trump was first elected president (2016).

In the recording, Biden’s responses are marked by long pauses, a soft and at times whispery voice, and visible confusion.

At various points, staff members can be heard stepping in to correct or assist him with certain facts.

These moments give weight to the findings in Hur’s final report, in which he characterized Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory.”

While Hur recommended no criminal charges, his assessment fueled ongoing debates about Biden’s fitness to serve.

A written transcript of the five-hour interview had already been released, but the audio adds depth and context to the president’s verbal struggles.

The White House initially pushed back strongly against suggestions that Biden was cognitively impaired.

At the time, officials and close allies insisted he remained capable of fulfilling the duties of the presidency.

However, public perception began to shift dramatically following Biden’s poor performance in a high-profile debate with Donald Trump in June 2024.

The debate, widely viewed as a debacle, intensified calls for him to withdraw as the Democratic presidential candidate.

Eventually, he stepped aside in July 2024, endorsing his vice president, Kamala Harris, to lead the ticket.

Polls taken around that time revealed that a majority of Americans viewed Biden, then 81, as too old for another term.

Although he had defeated Trump in the 2020 election, his decision to seek re-election was increasingly questioned.

Trump, only three years younger than Biden, repeatedly used Biden’s age and verbal slips as political ammunition throughout the campaign.

Biden and his supporters were furious with the content and tone of Hur’s report.

In an emotional response last year, Biden lashed out at the reference to his son’s death.

“There’s even a reference that I don’t remember when my son died,” Biden said.

“How in the hell dare he raise that?

“Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself it wasn’t any of their damn business,” he added.

In addition to factual lapses, the audio includes tangents during the interview.

Biden reflects on Barack Obama’s reluctance to support his 2016 presidential bid, explaining that Obama believed Hillary Clinton had a better chance of winning.

At other points, Biden veered off-topic, discussing subjects like the Gutenberg printing press and reminiscing about driving a Corvette with comedian Jay Leno.

While Biden’s memory was under scrutiny, Trump, the eventual winner of the 2024 election, was not immune to similar concerns.

In recent months, he has made confusing or erroneous statements himself.

In a legal deposition, Trump appeared to mistake E. Jean Carroll—who successfully sued him for sexual abuse and defamation, for his ex-wife, Marla Maples.

He also claimed an audience “went crazy” during his televised debate with Kamala Harris, despite the fact that the debate took place in a closed studio with no audience present.

Trump’s speeches during his presidency and campaign were also known for their rambling nature, frequent falsehoods, and exaggerations.

At times, he was accused of falling asleep during public events, although the White House has denied these claims.

One of Trump’s more controversial remarks came during a Fox News interview when discussing the ceasefire between India and Pakistan, both nuclear powers.

Referring to the rising tensions, Trump said, “It was getting deeper and more, I mean, more missiles.

“Everyone was stronger, stronger, to a point where the next ones are going to be you know what: the N-word.”

Host Brett Baier, appearing confused, replied, “nuclear,” to which Trump agreed, and both laughed at the exchange.

This incident, among others, added to concerns about decorum and judgment in both presidential contenders, with each facing scrutiny over age, cognitive ability, and fitness to lead.

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