Calls Coming For Joe Biden To Step Down - A day after the harsh report from special counsel Robert Hur into President Joe Biden's mishandling of classified documents calls are growing for the president to bow out of the 2024 race, and even to consider stepping down.

On Friday morning, the National Review, The Telegraph, and The New York Post were among the major news outlets that suggested it was time to address Biden's ability to serve as president.

Just a month ago as the 2024 primary season was about to ramp up, The Hill reminded readers that Biden said if Donald Trump were not running for the Republican nomination, the president might not be seeking a second term.

Now following the release of the Hur report, the calls for Biden to step aside are growing ever louder.

Joe Biden's Age and Memory in the Spotlight

Hur's 388-page report found that while there is evidence that Biden "willfully retained" and shared highly classified materials when he was a private citizen – including about military and foreign policy in Afghanistan – it recommended that charges were not warranted. However, it put into question Biden's mental health, notably his memory.

"We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory. Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt. It would be difficult to convince a jury that they should convict him-by then a former president well into his eighties-of a serious felony that requires a mental state of willfulness," the report stated.

It further described the 81-year-old Democrat's memory as "hazy," "fuzzy," "faulty," "poor" and most damningly suggested it has "significant limitations." It suggested that Biden couldn't recall many defining milestones in his life – notably when his son Beau died or even the years he served as vice president.

Biden was quick to fire back, defiantly stating on Thursday evening, "My memory is fine."

But that was before he proceeded to make one of his signature gaffes in which he called Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi "the president of Mexico." Video of the commentary has since gone viral on social media.

What Critics Are Saying

Jeffrey Blehar wrote for the National Review, "Did you just see that press briefing? The same one I did, where Joe Biden babbled nearly nonsensically for several minutes denying that he babbled nearly nonsensically for several minutes to the special counsel who was investigating his retention of classified records?"

The Telegraph's Isaac Schorr went even further and called for Biden to step down not only as a candidate but also as president. He noted how the Hur report stated that Biden couldn't remember when he was vice president or when his son Beau died.

"[Hur's] description raises questions about Biden's ability to serve as commander-in-chief for four more years. After all, if he’s not well enough to be held accountable for his actions, surely he’s not well enough to run the executive branch of the most powerful country on Earth," wrote Schorr.

The Telegraph newspaper also cited an NBC News poll that found that 76% of Americans, including 81% of independents and 54% of Democrats reported that they were concerned about Biden's fitness for office.

The New York Post editorial board also accused the Democrats and Dr. Jill Biden of committing elder abuse but enabling and protecting President Biden.

"It's time for those same Democrats who lied to get Biden into the White House to tell him that he must step aside before the 25th Amendment is invoked," the editorial board argued. "It's a humiliation, and it's one that they themselves caused. Jill Biden did this to her husband. His children, his staff, all the people who enabled this charade ­ this is on them."

Biden allies have pushed back on Hur's impartiality, pointing out that he was appointed to a U.S. attorney office by then-President Donald Trump in 2017. However, the report and Biden's gaffes aren't going anyway.

The question now is whether Biden will be able to stick around.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: [email protected].

Image Credit: Gage Skidmore.