Audio recordings from then-President Joe Biden's 2024 interview with special counsel Robert Hur have surfaced publicly for the first time, reigniting debates over Biden's cognitive state during his final year in office.

The details, published by Axios on Friday, include moments where Biden pauses for extended periods and appears to struggle with recalling specific dates and details.

The audio release follows over a year after the transcript was made public as part of the classified documents investigation. Despite the transcript already being available, the audio adds new fuel to political narratives around the president's mental fitness, Politico reports.

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With the release coinciding with the upcoming publication of the book "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," which scrutinizes Biden's alleged decline, Republicans have seized on the audio to reignite claims of a cover-up. Rep. Andy Ogles (R-Tenn.) called the incident the "coverup of the century" and referenced Biden's past access to nuclear codes, Politico adds.

Conservative advocacy groups like Judicial Watch and the Heritage Foundation had previously filed FOIA lawsuits demanding access to the audio.

While the Biden administration had signaled willingness to release the recordings, control over the files remained with the Department of Justice.

Speaking aboard Air Force One, President Donald Trump distanced himself from the release process, saying the matter was "up to Pam and the group," referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi.

Robert Hur concluded his investigation without recommending charges against Biden, noting that the president's recollections were incomplete but not criminal.

Biden previously insisted he did nothing wrong and dismissed criticism of his memory.

His case drew comparisons to Trump's separate classified documents case, which ended after Trump regained office and prosecutors dropped the charges, the report adds.

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