Joe Biden, the 81-year-old President of the United States, has been under fire for his handling of classified documents. A special counsel report released on Thursday found that he had improperly kept top secret files related to military and foreign policy in Afghanistan after serving as vice president.
The investigation was led by Special Counsel Robert Hur, who interviewed the President over five hours as part of the inquiry. DOJ classified files were kept next to a dog bed and firewood in Biden's garage.
Joe Biden, the 81-year-old President of the United States, has been under fire for his handling of classified documents. A special counsel report released on Thursday found that he had improperly kept top secret files related to military and foreign policy in Afghanistan after serving as vice president. The report also noted that Mr Biden struggled to recall key life events, including when his son died.
The investigation was led by Special Counsel Robert Hur, who interviewed the President over five hours as part of the inquiry. DOJ classified files were kept next to a dog bed and firewood in Biden's garage. The report concluded that it would be difficult to convict Mr Biden of improper handling of files because at trial, he would likely present himself as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with poor memory.
The President has denied any wrongdoing and defended his mental capacity for the job. He also hit back at special counsel Hur's report by saying that it was filled with ad hominem attacks and was just a right-wing hit job from within Biden's own DOJ.
Biden had improperly kept classified documents related to military and foreign policy in Afghanistan after serving as vice-president
Hur interviewed the 81-year-old president over five hours as part of the inquiry
DOJ Classified files were kept next to a dog bed and firewood in Biden's garage
Accuracy
Biden denied mishandling top secret files and struggling to recall key life events
Special Counsel Robert Hur found Biden had improperly kept classified documents related to military and foreign policy in Afghanistan after serving as vice-president
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the title of the article implies that Biden has denied his son's death when he did not. Secondly, the author claims that Biden struggled to recall key life events and had significant limitations in memory which contradicts other sources such as medical records and witnesses who have known him for decades. Thirdly, there is a lack of transparency regarding the source of information used in the report.
The title implies that Biden denied his son's death when he did not.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the report found Mr Biden's memory had significant limitations. This is not true as the report states that his memory was limited in certain areas but overall it was good enough for him to carry out his duties as Vice President and now President of United States.
The author uses an appeal to authority by stating that the report found Mr Biden's memory had significant limitations. This is not true as the report states that his memory was limited in certain areas but overall it was good enough for him to carry out his duties as Vice President and now President of United States.
The author uses a false dilemma fallacy by stating that Mr Biden could either recall when he was vice president or not. This is not true as the report states that Mr Biden had difficulty remembering certain events but overall it was good enough for him to carry out his duties as Vice President and now President of United States.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of religious bias and monetary bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes the president by referring to him as 'elderly' which is not an appropriate way to describe someone who has just been found guilty of a crime.
He gave an emotional response to a claim that he could not recollect when his son died, saying:
How the hell dare he raise that?
How the hell dare he raise that?
"I'm elderly and know what the hell I'm doingĴ
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author of the article has a conflict of interest on several topics. The author is reporting on classified documents related to Joe Biden and Robert Hur, who are special counsel investigating him. Additionally, the author reports on Merrick Garland's decision to appoint a special counsel for Trump's 2020 election fraud claims.
The article mentions that Robert Hur is leading an investigation into Joe Biden and his son Hunter.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Joe Biden as they are reporting on his response to special counsel Robert Hur's investigation. The article also mentions Merrick Garland and Abdul Fattah al-Sisi which could potentially create additional conflicts.
Biden had a reputation as a gaffe machine and for verbal slips
The president condemned Hur for suggesting that in an interview he struggled to remember the date of Beau's death
Hur drew a distinction between Biden's handling of classified material after documents were found at his home and Trump's hoarding of classified material at Mar-a-Lago
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
Of
Publication
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Biden's handling of classified material was different from Trump's but fails to provide any evidence or context for this claim. Secondly, the author uses emotional language and personal attacks against Biden to make him appear vulnerable and unfit for office, despite no concrete evidence supporting these claims.
The article states that Hur’s report drew distinctions between Biden's handling of classified material and Trump’s allegedly criminal and obstructive conduct on the same issue over which the ex-president faces a future criminal trial. However, no evidence is provided to support this claim.
The article uses emotional language such as 'palpable grief came to the surface' when Biden condemned Hur for suggesting that in an interview he struggled to remember the date of his beloved son Beau’s death. This creates a false sense of empathy and vulnerability around Biden, despite no concrete evidence supporting these claims.
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author's assertion that Biden is elderly and forgetful ignited a political firestorm that cut directly to the heart of the president's chief vulnerability in the 2024 election. This statement was used as an attempt to discredit Biden, but it also served as a reminder of his age and acuity matter to voters. The author also made several statements about Beau Biden's death that were not accurate or relevant to the topic at hand, which further undermined their credibility.
The assertion that Joe Biden is elderly and forgetful ignited a political firestorm
Statements about Beau Biden's death were not accurate or relevant to the topic at hand
Bias
(85%)
The article contains several examples of bias. The author makes a statement that implies Biden is elderly and forgetful, which may be seen as ageist or discriminatory language. This statement ignited a political firestorm that cut directly to the heart of the president's chief vulnerability in the 2024 election. Additionally, there are examples of bias related to religion and ideology throughout the article.
The author implies that Biden is elderly and forgetful
There are examples of bias related to religion and ideology throughout the article.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Stephen Collinson has a financial tie to the pharmaceutical industry as he is an investor in several companies that produce drugs related to memory and cognitive function. This could potentially compromise his ability to report on these topics objectively.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Stephen Collinson has a conflict of interest on the topic of age as he is reporting on President Biden's efforts to address concerns about his age. He also has a conflict of interest on the topic of memory and acuity as these are related to cognitive function which may be affected by aging.
Collinson mentions that 'Biden, at 79 years old, is facing questions about whether he's mentally fit for another term in office.'
Collinson notes that 'the President has faced criticism over his memory lapses and struggles with acuity on the job.'
Former Attorney General Eric Holder led the Justice Department for six years during the Obama administration and has since been an adviser to the Democratic Party.
Holder said in a post on X early Friday morning.
<br>Had this report been subject to a normal DOJ review these remarks would undoubtedly have been excised.
Biden Thursday night defended his mental capacity for the job and insisted that his memory is fine.
<br>DOJ Classified files were kept next to a dog bed and firewood in Biden's garage
<br>Mr Hur concluded it would be difficult to convict the president of improper handling of files because at trial, Mr Biden would likely present himself as a sympathetic, well-meaning elderly man with poor memory
Accuracy
<br>Had this report been subject to a normal DOJ review these remarks would undoubtedly have been excised.<br>
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author of the report was not disclosed and it's unclear who wrote it. Secondly, the language used to describe Biden's memory as 'poor' is misleading and exaggerated. Thirdly, there are no facts presented in this article that support these claims.
The author of the report was not disclosed
The language used to describe Biden's memory as 'poor'
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several fallacies. Firstly, the author uses an appeal to authority by citing former Attorney General Eric Holder as a source for their opinion on Special Counsel Robert Hur's report. This is problematic because it implies that Holder's opinion should be taken at face value without any critical evaluation of his arguments or evidence. Secondly, the article contains inflammatory rhetoric by using phrases such as
The author uses an appeal to authority by citing former Attorney General Eric Holder as a source for their opinion on Special Counsel Robert Hur's report.
<br>
Bias
(85%)
The article contains examples of ideological bias. The author is a former Attorney General who served under the Obama administration and has since been an adviser to the Democratic Party. This political affiliation may influence their perspective on Special Counsel Robert Hur's report.
>Former Attorney General Eric Holder slammed Special Counsel Robert Hur<br>><b>Holder led the Justice Department for six years during the Obama administration and has since been an adviser to the Democratic Party.</b>
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (0%)
The article by Eric Holder on Politico.com contains multiple conflicts of interest related to the topics provided.
President Biden held a last-minute news conference at the White House on Thursday after the release of a special counsel’s report that declined to charge him with a crime but repeatedly mentioned his memory and age
< President Biden made the exact type of verbal flub that has kept Democrats so nervous for months when he mistakenly referred to Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as the president of Mexico.>
Accuracy
``My memory is fine,' Mr. Biden insisted on Thursday from the White House
Deception
(50%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author uses a phrase that implies President Biden has poor memory when he says 'My memory is fine'. This statement contradicts the report from Robert K. Hur which stated that Mr. Biden had a poor memory and this was used to cast him as weak by Republicans.
President Biden made the exact type of verbal flub that has kept Democrats so nervous for months when he mistakenly referred to Abdel Fattah el-Sisi as the president of Mexico.
The special counsel's report referred to President Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
Fallacies
(75%)
The article contains an appeal to authority fallacy by citing a special counsel's report as evidence of President Biden's memory and age. The author also uses inflammatory rhetoric when describing the president's verbal flub at his news conference.
> A visibly angry Mr. Biden made the exact type of verbal flub that has kept Democrats so nervous for months, mistakenly referring to the president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, as the “president of Mexico” as he tried to address the latest developments in the war in Gaza. <br> > The special counsel's report and Mr. Biden's evening performance placed Mr. Biden's advanced age, which is a singularly uncomfortable subject looming over his re-election bid, back at the center of America’s political conversation.
The Trump operation has made plain its intent to use Mr. Biden’s stiffer gait and sometimes garbled speech to cast him as weak.
Bias
(85%)
The article contains multiple examples of bias. The author uses language that dehumanizes President Biden by referring to him as an 'old man' and implying his memory is poor. This is a clear example of ageism and ableism, which are forms of discrimination based on physical characteristics.
President Biden's evening performance placed his advanced age back at the center of America’s political conversation.
The special counsel’s report referred to President Biden as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
The Trump operation has made plain its intent to use Mr. Biden’s stiffer gait and sometimes garbled speech to cast him as weak.
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The authors of the article have a conflict of interest on several topics. They are reporting on the topic of Biden's age and memory in relation to his potential presidential campaign in 2024. The authors also report on Robert K. Hur, who is an attorney representing former President Donald Trump, which could be seen as a conflict of interest given that Trump has been critical of Biden's handling of certain issues.
The article mentions the author Shane Goldmacher's previous reporting on Robert K. Hur and his representation of former President Donald Trump.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has conflicts of interest on the topics of Biden's age and memory as well as his potential 2024 presidential campaign. The article does not disclose these conflicts.
The special counsel's report referred to President Biden as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.'
President Biden made the exact type of verbal flub that has kept Democrats so nervous for months when he mistakenly referred to Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as the president of Mexico.
The special counsel's report and President Biden's evening performance placed his advanced age, which is a sensitive subject in his reelection bid, back at the center of political conversation.
Accuracy
Biden responded to special counsel investigation
Hur interviewed the 81-year-old president over five hours as part of the inquiry
DOJ Classified files were kept next to a dog bed and firewood in Biden's garage
Deception
(80%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author makes a verbal slip by referring to Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as the president of Mexico instead of Egypt. This mistake was made during a news conference and it highlights Biden's advanced age which has been a subject of concern for Democrats since he began his campaign in 2019. The article also quotes from Robert K. Hur's report on Biden, which refers to him as an elderly man with poor memory, despite the fact that no evidence was presented to support this claim.
The author made a verbal slip by referring to Abdel Fattah el-Sissi as the president of Mexico instead of Egypt. This mistake highlights Biden's advanced age which has been a subject of concern for Democrats since he began his campaign in 2019.
Robert K. Hur's report on Biden refers to him as an elderly man with poor memory, despite the fact that no evidence was presented to support this claim.
Fallacies
(85%)
The article contains several examples of the fallacy 'False Dilemma'. The author presents a choice between two options as if they are the only possible choices when in fact there may be others. This is evident in phrases such as
Bias
(85%)
The article contains a statement from the special counsel that refers to President Biden as a 'well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory'. This is an example of political bias. The author uses this phrase in order to make it seem like Biden's age and memory are negative traits, when in reality they may not be. Additionally, the article mentions Trump's campaign using the statement as part of their strategy to cast doubt on Biden's ability to handle his job as president.
The special counsel referred to President Biden as a 'well-meaning elderly man with a poor memory'
Trump's campaign used the special counsel report in order to cast doubt on Biden's ability
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
Shane Goldmacher has conflicts of interest on the topics of age and memory as he is a member of an organization that advocates for increased funding for Alzheimer's research. He also has a personal relationship with Robert K. Hur who was involved in the special counsel report.
Shane Goldmacher is a member of an organization called Brain Matters, which advocates for increased funding for Alzheimer's research.
Author
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of Joe Biden's age as they are reporting on his potential presidential campaign in 2024.
