Fact check: President Joe Biden's claims about handling of classified information debunked

President Joe Biden's recent press conference addressing the report from special counsel Robert Hur, which cleared him of charges regarding classified information from before his presidency, saw him disputing the findings while making several inaccurate claims about his handling of the materials. A fact check exposes the inaccuracies in his statements.

The reality of classified material storage

Biden attempted to distinguish his handling of classified material from that of former President Donald Trump, emphasizing that the documents in his possession were stored in filing cabinets that were either locked or lockable. However, the special counsel's report contradicts this assertion. It reveals that while some of the documents were indeed found in locked cabinet drawers in Biden's Delaware home, others, including classified documents about Afghanistan, were discovered in an unsealed and damaged box in his garage, along with various household items. Additionally, notebooks containing classified information from Biden's vice presidency were found in unlocked drawers in his office and basement den, reflecting insufficient security measures.

The classification level of the documents

Contrary to Biden's claim that none of the classified material in his possession was highly classified, the special counsel's report provides evidence to the contrary. It details the discovery of documents marked "Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information," indicating a very high level of classification, as well as handwritten notebooks containing information classified up to the Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information level. The report also highlights the presence of documents containing highly sensitive information about national security, intelligence sources, and methods, with the potential to cause grave damage if improperly disclosed.

Biden's communication with his ghostwriter

Biden vehemently denied sharing classified information from his notebooks with his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, for the 2017 memoir "Promise Me, Dad." However, the special counsel's report directly contradicts his denial, confirming that Biden did disclose classified information to the ghostwriter, reading from his notebooks on multiple occasions, including during a conversation about national security matters in the White House Situation Room. While Biden attempted to downplay the significance of these disclosures, the report exposes the reality of his actions.

The documented facts presented by the special counsel's report systematically dismantle the accuracy of Biden's claims, shedding light on the true nature of his handling of classified information. The tension between Biden's assertions and the report's findings calls for a comprehensive reevaluation of the situation, urging a closer examination of the facts at hand.