Democrats Turn Tables at Robert Hur Hearing to Cleverly Expose Trump
House Democrats expertly highlighted the difference between Joe Biden keeping classified documents and Donald Trump keeping classified documents during a hearing on Tuesday.
The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from Robert Hur, the special counsel who investigated Biden for keeping classified materials after leaving the vice presidency. Although Biden was not charged, Hur’s report damningly described him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.”
But the Democratic Judiciary members were quick to point out that forgetting some things was the worst of Biden’s deeds—unlike Trump.
Representative Veronica Escobar walked Hur through some of the major differences, primarily that Trump had stored the documents in places that were easily accessed by “tens of thousands of people.” When the government asked Trump to return the documents, he allegedly had his aides hide boxes of files.
Rep. Escobar walks through Hur the difference between Biden having classified docs at his home and Trump having them at his club where "tens of thousands of people" had access, and also points out that Biden never had his aides moves boxes of classified docs around pic.twitter.com/uTjUI01cTp
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 12, 2024
At another point, Representative Madeleine Dean asked Hur to read out a section of his own report.
“Unlike the evidence involving Mr. Biden, the allegations set forth in the indictment of Mr. Trump, if proven, would present serious aggravating facts,” Hur read, appearing uncomfortable.
“Most notably, after being given multiple chances to return classified documents and avoid prosecution, Mr. Trump allegedly did the opposite.”
lmao Rep. Dean has Hur read the part of his report where he owns Trump pic.twitter.com/aeiyEPAZwA
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 12, 2024
Representative Ted Lieu also stressed the direct contrasts between Biden’s situation and Trump’s. He asked Hur if he had found evidence of Biden engaging in certain behaviors, including telling his lawyer to lie to the FBI or destroy evidence, telling his aides to delete security camera footage, showing classified documents to people who did not have appropriate security clearance, or engaging in conspiracy to obstruct justice.
Each time, Hur answered, “No.” But, as Lieu pointed out, Trump had been accused of all of those acts.
a brilliant line of questioning from Rep. Lieu, who cleverly asks Hur if he found evidence of Biden mishandling classified docs or engaging in criminality in the ways Trump did pic.twitter.com/ct3lF7GN03
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 12, 2024
Trump faces 40 criminal counts over his mishandling of classified documents, for willful retention of national defense information, making false statements, and conspiracy to obstruct justice, among other things. The trial was originally set for May 20 but will likely be delayed.