Audio recordings featuring conversations between former US President Joe Biden and his ghostwriter have been made public. The recordings were disclosed on Monday, July 27, following a prolonged legal dispute initiated by the conservative Oversight Project against the Justice Department. Initially, the former US leader sought to keep the recordings confidential but later decided to withdraw his legal opposition.
The content of the recordings aligns with reports indicating that Mr. Biden retained classified information after his tenure as vice president and provides insight into his collaboration with former US President Barack Obama. Biden served as the US Vice President under Obama from January 20, 2009, to January 20, 2017, before assuming the presidency from January 20, 2021, to January 20, 2025.
In the recordings, Biden is heard discussing notes from his vice-presidential term while sharing them with biographer Mark Lewis Zwonitzer. He mentions keeping handwritten notes from his time in office that were previously undisclosed. Certain portions of the conversation are redacted due to their connection to classified foreign policy matters.
At one point in the recordings, Mr. Biden interrupts himself, noting that the next topic is classified. The conversations also touch on a disagreement between Biden and Obama concerning the response to the 2008 financial crisis. Biden recalls being at odds with Obama on issues related to housing and the middle class, expressing a desire for a more robust approach than punitive measures against financial institutions.
Furthermore, the recordings revisit Biden’s decision not to challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2016. Biden recalls Obama advising him that the decision was his own but cautioning that it would be a challenging endeavor. Biden acknowledges that at the time, he perceived securing the nomination as a formidable task.
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