‘This matter is now closed’: Biden addresses special counsel report with House Democrats

LEESBURG, Va. — Speaking to a gathering of House Democrats, President Joe Biden addressed a special counsel’s decision not to charge him for his handling of classified documents, declaring that “this matter is now closed.”

“I was pleased to see they reached the conclusion I knew all along they would: There were no charges brought in this case,” Biden said at the House Democrats’ annual policy retreat at the Lansdowne Resort in northern Virginia.

“This matter is now closed. I will continue to do what I’ve always done: stay focused on my job,” he said.

The president’s remarks to a ballroom full of House Democratic lawmakers and staffers came less than two hours after special counsel Robert Hur released a much-anticipated report on his investigation into Biden’s handling of classified material. While Hur did not charge Biden, his report stated that Biden’s practices “present serious risks to national security” and that Biden portrayed himself as an “elderly man with a poor memory.”

Addressing Democrats, Biden said that the probe spanned more than 40 years, dating back to when he became a senator: “I was a kid. I was a kid 29 years old.” And he said he was interviewed by Hur’s team during a stressful period, shortly after the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.

“The special counsel acknowledged I cooperated completely. I did not throw up any roadblocks. I sought no delays. In fact, I was so determined to get special counsel what they needed,” Biden told the room. “I went forward with a five-hour in-person interview over the two days of October the 9th — 8th and 9th — last year, even though Israel had just been attacked by Hamas on the 7th.”

“I was in the middle of handling an international crisis. But I was especially