Joe Biden health scare as leaked audio reveals rambling and memory loss

Joe Biden's leaked audio was from October 2023, eight months before his debate with Trump (Image: Getty)

A leaked audio tape thats appears to reveal Joe Biden's "poor memory" has raised fresh concerns over the former US President's health. Ex-special counsel, Robert Hur, leaned on the audio tapes from October 2023, where Biden is heard struggling to recall memories, including when his son Beau died, to insist that he is not eligible for prosecution over the mishandling of classified documents.

The former President, who was 80 years old at the time of the recording, eight months before the memorable debate with Donald Trump, also struggled to recall when he left office as vice president under Barack Obama. At one point he is heard asking: "Am I making any sense to you?" The audio was published on Friday from portions of interviews that Biden gave to federal prosecutors, after asserting executive privilege over the audio tapes while he was in office.

Robert Hur described Biden as a 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory' (Image: Getty)

Biden's lawyer can be heard reminding the former President when his son Beau died. Biden asked: "What was happening though was... What month did Beau die?" before adding, "Oh God, May 30th."

A White House lawyer then said it was the year 2015, to which Biden asked: "Was it 2015 he died?” He then probed Hur: "This is what, 2017, 18, in that area?"

When Hur affirms, Biden says: "Remember, in this time frame, my son is … uh … would’ve been deployed or is dying and so … it was … and by the way there were still a lot of people at the time, when I got out of the Senate, that were encouraging me to run in this period - except the president."

Beau deployed between 2008 and 2009, at the beginning of Biden's first term as vice president.

His ex-special counsel previously described Biden as a "well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" who had "diminished faculties", and at points "did not remember when he was vice president".

Hur was appointed special counsel by Attorney General Merrick Garland in January 2022 to investigate the president's handling of classified files in various areas, including Afghanistan.

Hur explained: "I understood that my explanation about this case had to include rigorous, detailed, and thorough analysis. In other words, I needed to show my work".

"I knew that for my decision to be credible, I could not simply announce that I recommended no criminal charges and leave it at that. I needed to explain why."

Hur added: "For that reason, I had to consider the President's memory and overall mental state, and how a jury likely would perceive his memory and mental state in a criminal trial."

"I did not sanitize my explanation. Nor did I disparage the President unfairly."

The Biden administration had already released transcripts of the interview that took place on October 8 and October 9 2023.