Current:Home > ScamsFirst lady questions whether special counsel referenced son’s death to score political points -OceanicInvest
First lady questions whether special counsel referenced son’s death to score political points
View
Date:2025-04-17 09:25:21
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — First lady Jill Biden said in an email to campaign donors on Saturday she didn’t know what the special counsel was trying to achieve when he suggested President Joe Biden could not remember his son’s death.
”We should give everyone grace, and I can’t imagine someone would try to use our son’s death to score political points,” she wrote. “If you’ve experienced a loss like that, you know that you don’t measure it in years -- you measure it in grief.”
It was an emphatic defense of her husband in a note to supporters as Biden’s team worked to alleviate Democratic concerns over the alarms raised by a special counsel about Biden’s age and memory, in a report determining that Biden would not be charged with any criminal activity for possessing classified documents after he left office.
Special Counsel Robert Hur, a Republican former U.S. Attorney appointed by Donald Trump, found the president should not face charges for retaining the documents, and described as a hypothetical defense that the 81-year-old president could show his memory was “hazy,” “fuzzy,” “faulty,” “poor” and having “significant limitations,” and added that during an interview with investigators that Biden couldn’t recall ”even within years” when his oldest son Beau had died.
“Believe me, like anyone who has lost a child, Beau and his death never leave him,” Jill Biden said.
It was an unusually personal observation for a special counsel investigating the president’s handling of classified documents. Beau Biden died in 2015 from a brain tumor, it’s something that Biden speaks of regularly, and cites as both a reason why he didn’t run in 2016 and a later motivator for his successful 2020 run.
“May 30th is a day forever etched on our hearts,” Jill Biden said in a note to supporters about the day Beau Biden died. “It shattered me, it shattered our family. ... What helped me, and what helped Joe, was to find purpose. That’s what keeps Joe going, serving you and the country we love.”
The references to Beau Biden in Hur’s report enraged the president, who later said: “How in the hell dare he raise that?”
Biden mentioned that he had sat for five hours of interviews with Hur’s team over two days on Oct. 8 and 9, “even though Israel had just been attacked on October 7th and I was in the middle of handling an international crisis.”
Voters have been concerned about his age. In an August poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs, 77% of U.S. adults said Biden is too old to be effective for four more years. It was one of the rare sources of bipartisan agreement during a politically polarized era, with 89% of Republicans and 69% of Democrats saying Biden’s age is a problem.
“Joe is 81, that’s true, but he’s 81 doing more in an hour than most people do in a day. Joe has wisdom, empathy, and vision,” Jill Biden said. “His age, with his experience and expertise, is an incredible asset and he proves it every day.”
veryGood! (899)
Related
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- These Are the adidas Sneakers Everyone Will Be Wearing All Summer Long
- 24 Things Every Wine Lover Should Own
- Sephora Sale Last Day to Save: Here’s a Shopping Editor’s Guide to the 43 Best Deals
- Man can't find second winning lottery ticket, sues over $394 million jackpot, lawsuit says
- Blake Lively Reveals She's Skipping the Met Gala 2023 for This Relatable Activity
- Mother's Day Gifts for Wine Moms: Flight Sets, Bottle Chillers, Wine Charms & More
- Meghan Markle Reflects on Her Kids’ Meaningful Milestones During Appearance at TED Talk Event
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Rapper MoneySign Suede Dead at 22 After Being Stabbed in Prison Shower, His Lawyer Says
Ranking
- Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
- A meteorologist got threats for his climate coverage. His new job is about solutions
- Bridget Everett and Jeff Hiller Explain Importance of Somebody Somewhere’s Queer Representation
- Get Glowing Skin and Save 45% On a Complete Sunday Riley Beauty Routine
- Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
- Why Princess Charlotte Will Never Be Your Average Spare Heir
- BaubleBar's Sitewide Jewelry Sale Has Amazing Deals Starting at $10
- Selling Sunset’s Mary Fitzgerald Bonnet Teases How Cast Was Going Crazy During Season 6
Recommendation
US wholesale inflation accelerated in November in sign that some price pressures remain elevated
Meghan Markle's Next Hollywood Career Move Is Revealed
Priyanka Chopra Shares What Nick Jonas Told Her the Day Daughter Malti Was Born
What — And Who — Is To Blame For Extreme Heat?
Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
Today’s Climate: April 24-25, 2010
Lea Michele Hits a High Note During First Met Gala Appearance in 9 Years
Jamie Lee Curtis Congratulates Film Daughter Lindsay Lohan on Pregnancy With the Ultimate Message