Biden Audio Tapes Released

Released recordings add fresh scrutiny to Biden’s handling of classified material.

•Consensus

UPDATED: Biden Ghostwriter Tapes, Transcripts Are Out - and They're Already Raising Big Questions

Biden tapes, released after legal battle, include references to notes containing classified material

After Biden Tapes Released, Former Asst. AG for Environment Jeff Clark Argues – By Law – Joe Biden Must Forfeit $8 Million for Book Advance and His Delaware Home Where He Illegally Kept Classified Information * The Gateway Pundit * by Jim Hoft

Summary

A neutral summary of the key facts most outlets agree on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum.

Audio recordings from former President Joe Biden’s 2016 and 2017 interviews with memoir ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer were released after Biden’s attorneys dropped a months-long court fight to block disclosure. The recordings, totaling roughly 70 hours, were evidence in Special Counsel Robert Hur’s 2024 investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents after leaving the vice presidency. In one excerpt, Biden tells Zwonitzer, “Some of this may be classified, so be careful with it.” Hur’s report cited the tapes in finding that Biden kept notebooks at home containing classified information.

The Coverage

How outlets are covering this story: how much of the coverage argues a viewpoint, and the angles that emerged — built only from the analysis and opinion pieces, never from straight reporting. Each dot is one article, placed by its outlet's bias — left to right. How to read our graphics →

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Consensuscommentary from both sides — in agreement.

What the analysis & opinion pieces argue

Cognitive lapses

Biden sounded confused or forgetful on the tapes while discussing sensitive material. Those moments raise doubts about his memory and cognitive fitness.

Classified mishandling

Biden improperly retained and disclosed classified information, including material tied to his memoir and documents kept at his Delaware home. The newly released recordings and transcripts back up that allegation, undercut his public defense, and point to a serious classified-documents scandal.