Newly disclosed audio recordings from 2017 reveal former President Joe Biden experiencing noticeable cognitive difficulties during conversations with his memoir ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer. The tapes were released on Monday to the House Judiciary Committee and the conservative Oversight Project nonprofit following a lengthy court battle spanning two years.
The recordings, which cover discussions related to Biden’s 2017 memoir, "Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship, and Purpose," capture episodes where Biden appears confused, struggles to recall details, and frequently pauses or loses his train of thought. At one point, Biden asks his ghostwriter to wait while he reviews notes, expressing frustration with his own memory.
The Oversight Project characterized Biden’s hesitations and frequent verbal fillers as evidence of early cognitive decline, noting that these struggles were apparent just months after Biden left the Obama administration as vice president. The group highlighted that the tapes contain numerous moments of mental fogginess, reflecting the "good days and bad days" dynamic that persisted into Biden’s presidency.
In addition to these memory lapses, the recordings document Biden discussing the possession and handling of classified information. Several redacted segments of the roughly 70 hours of audio reportedly involve Biden reading aloud from notebooks containing sensitive national security and foreign policy material. Biden makes several remarks indicating awareness that some of the documents were classified, though not explicitly marked as such.
During the conversations, Biden is heard referencing the discovery of classified materials that he said he had found shortly after assuming office in 2009. He also recounts high-level meetings with agencies such as the CIA, the Department of Defense, and discussions held in the White House Situation Room. One excerpt quotes Biden noting that he had retained extensive notes without others’ knowledge.
These recordings formed part of the evidence examined by former special counsel Robert Hur during his 2023-24 inquiry into Biden’s retention of classified documents after leaving the vice presidency. Hur concluded Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials" but declined to pursue charges, citing Biden’s portrayal as a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory" during his interview.
The Oversight Project has argued that the extent of Biden’s discussions involving classified information is more severe than publicly acknowledged, pointing to large portions of redacted audio that suggest multiple disclosures of sensitive content. The group’s leadership criticized Biden for allegedly sharing secrets with individuals not authorized to access such information.
No comment was immediately available from Biden’s representatives in response to requests for reaction.