‘It’s nothing’: Biden downplays classified documents issue

The classified documents found in Joe Biden’s old office embarrassed the White House. Nevertheless, the American President tends to downplay the case by declaring “it’s nothing”. “Listen, we found some documents (…) that were classified in places where they shouldn’t have been, we immediately turned them over to the (National) Archives and the Department of Justice,” the US president said during his visit to California, which counts dozens dead from the floods.

“I think you’ll find it’s nothing. I don’t regret anything. I did what my lawyers told me to do. That’s exactly what I did,” he insisted, adding that he cooperates “fully” with the Justice Department.

However, before answering, the head of state did not hide his displeasure. “Listen, I’ll answer your question, but the point is this. You know, what really bothers me is that we have a very serious problem that we are discussing over here (…). The American people don’t quite understand why you’re asking me about this.”

Very delicate topic

The issue of classified documents is particularly sensitive for Mr. Biden, especially at this juncture as he prepares to announce whether he will run for president again in 2024, as well as for Democrats as a whole.

Attorney General Merrick Garland last week appointed a special prosecutor to investigate the matter after documents were found at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and at an office in Washington he used before he became president, apparently to avoid giving the impression of “two meters of both stations”.

Democrats did not miss an opportunity to sharply criticize former President Donald Trump, who is under investigation because the Republican took boxes full of classified documents with him when leaving the White House in 2021. The case of these documents had caused a huge uproar .

As for the current president, the first classified documents were found on November 2 at the Penn Biden Center, a Washington think tank where Joe Biden once had an office, and in December at his home in Wilmington, some in the garage.

The Republican opposition complains that the information about the documents is done with the dropper. Benefiting from the slight majority it now has in the House of Representatives, it began a parliamentary investigation.

A 1978 law required all US presidents and vice presidents to turn over to the National Archives working papers in their possession, as well as letters, emails and other materials.