President Joe Biden releases audio of interview with Robert Hur

What is on these tapes?

President Biden invoked executive privilege on Thursday to prevent the House Oversight Committee from accessing five hours of audio recordings from his conversations with Special Counsel Robert Hur on Oct. 8-9, 2023, as well as recordings of ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer purportedly confessing to deleting incriminating recordings of Biden discussing classified information.

Strange: The transcript of the Hur interview was made public a few weeks ago, rendering the audio recordings seemingly lacking in any substantial information.

So what is Biden trying to conceal from the public?

Biden’s decision came after Attorney General Merrick Garland denied the release of the tapes and appealed to the White House for intervention, arguing: “Providing these recordings to the Committees would pose an unacceptable risk of undermining the Department’s ability to conduct similar high-profile criminal investigations.”

This seems like a flimsy excuse: Once again, it’s important to note that we are discussing the audio recordings, not the actual content itself.

Garland’s rationale appears to be a front for Biden to prevent the tapes’ disclosure without appearing too self-interested.

White House Counsel Ed Siskel’s justification is even more puzzling: He suggests that House Republicans may attempt to manipulate the tapes for partisan gains.

So, why is this particular audio causing such alarm?

It seems like it might simply provide further evidence of what many observe whenever Biden speaks without a script: a man exhibiting noticeable cognitive decline.

However, the refusal to release the tapes raises suspicions that the content is particularly damaging — potentially enough for Garland to face contempt of Congress charges.

Mr. President, stop fueling conspiracy theories.

Release the tapes and allow the public to draw their own conclusions.