First lady Jill Biden sent an email to campaign donors on Saturday in response to the special counsel’s suggestion that President Joe Biden couldn’t remember when his oldest son died. Jill Biden expressed disbelief that someone would use their son’s death for political gain, emphasizing that grief cannot be measured in years. This response came as Biden’s team worked to alleviate Democratic concerns over a report from the special counsel, Robert Hur, who determined that Biden would not face criminal charges for retaining classified documents after leaving office.
Hur, a Republican former U.S. attorney appointed by Donald Trump, described Biden’s memory as “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor,” and having “significant limitations.” He added that in an interview, Biden couldn’t recall “even within years” when his oldest son Beau had died. Jill Biden stated that Beau’s death is something that never leaves the president and referenced May 30th as a day forever etched on their hearts. Biden called it an attempt to raise awareness of the issue and stated that he sat for five hours of interviews with Hur’s team over two days. The report enraged Biden, who questioned how the special counsel dared to raise the issue of his son’s death.
The special counsel’s references to Beau Biden in the report received criticism from the president and further aggravated concerns about his age among voters. According to an August poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, 77% of U.S. adults think Biden is too old to be effective for four more years, including 89% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats. Jill Biden contested this notion by describing Joe Biden’s age as an incredible asset, emphasizing his wisdom, empathy, and vision. She expressed that Biden’s age, combined with his experience and expertise, makes him an effective leader who proves himself every day.