Biden defends his memory in surprise speech after special counsel report

President says my memory is fine' after report on classified documents case calls him elderly man with poor memory'

• Read the special counsel report in full

Joe Biden made a short last-minute speech on Thursday after a report from the justice department questioned his ability to remember key events and facts while also clearing him of criminal charges over his handling of highly classified materials.

In his fiery remarks, he sought to emphasize that he participated in a five hour interview for the investigation in the days after the 7 October attack on Israel, when he was occupied with pressing concerns. I was in the middle of handling an international crisis," he said.