Staff Reports
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is requesting that the audio recordings of a conversation between former special counsel Robert Hur and President Joe Biden be made public. Luna expressed concern that the transcript may have been altered, and she believes that releasing the tapes will provide a true representation of Biden’s capabilities.
During an appearance on Sunday Morning Futures, Luna highlighted the need to retrieve these tapes from the Department of Justice. Hur’s remarks about Biden’s competence, describing him as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” have raised questions regarding the president’s mental state. Despite Hur’s office stating that Biden did not demonstrate a “mental state of willfulness” and therefore would not be charged for mishandling classified documents, Luna is calling for transparency by releasing the full recordings to the public.
Luna emphasized the potential impact of the tapes on public perception of Biden’s ability to make critical decisions, particularly in the current foreign policy crisis. With Russian warships near the US coast, Luna raised concerns about Biden’s fitness to lead the country. She suggested that the tapes could have significant implications for the upcoming presidential nomination, indicating that Democrats may be seeking to protect Biden and the Department of Justice.
The Democratic National Convention is set to begin in August, where the party’s nominee will be officially announced. CNN, the Heritage Foundation, and Judicial Watch have all been denied access to the audio through Freedom of Information Act requests and have subsequently filed lawsuits against the Justice Department. The department has cited concerns about potential manipulation of the audio by artificial intelligence as the reason for withholding it.
Anna Paulina Luna predicts release of Hur tapes will keep Biden from nomination https://t.co/cjoycFSj5V
— American Lives Matter (@JohnTho11951677) June 17, 2024
Hur’s departure from his position as special counsel and the lack of response to subpoenas from the House Judiciary Committee and the House Oversight Committee have added to the controversy surrounding the recordings. The ongoing efforts to obtain the tapes underscore the growing scrutiny of Biden’s cognitive abilities and their potential impact on the upcoming presidential election.
