WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Joe Biden is facing harsh criticism for classified documents being found in his possession. Multiple sets of documents with classified markings including those from Biden’s time as vice president, were found at his home in Delaware and at an old office he used.
Since the discovery, the Department of Justice appointed a special counsel to investigate how the documents have been handled and why they weren’t turned over to the national archives. The White House maintains they’ve been cooperating with the investigation.
“One of the things that we have said for the last two years when it comes to the Department of Justice, when it comes to legal matters, when it comes to legal issues, we have been very clear we are not going to comment, we’re not going to politically interfere,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
Comparisons are being made of Biden’s case and to former president Donald Trump’s mishandling of sensitive documents.
“There are two things at issue here: the first is mishandling which I think both the former president and the current president are guilty of,” said Todd Belt, the director of political management at George Washington University. “And the second one is obstruction in which Donald Trump engaged in whereas the irony here is Joe Biden was trying to be transparent but because of the trickle and what we’re learning about these documents, what I think is worse than what he first imagined.”
Political analysts said the optics of this hurts Biden and the democrats.
“There’s an old saying in politics: if you’re explaining you’re losing and so because Joe Biden has to explain how this is different than what Donald trump is just really gives the other side really the advantage,” said Belt.
Analysts said it’s highly unlikely for the DOJ to bring any sort of charges against a sitting president. However, this won’t get him out of the clear. We know that congressional republicans are looking to investigate this matter and possibly even bring charges of impeachment against the president.
