‘I just found all the classified stuff downstairs’: Four moments from the Biden tapes

Conservative activists released recordings of Joe Biden’s conversations with his memoir ghostwriter in 2016 and 2017, casting it as evidence that the former president’s mental sharpness was declining years before the public became aware.

But the audio, obtained after a lengthy legal battle, offers a more nuanced portrayal of Biden in his last year as vice president and first year out of office. At times, he struggled to recall some names and dates of events years ago or lost his train of thought. In other instances, he offers vivid details about old meetings.