Congressional Democrats criticize Biden's handling of classified documents

Capitol Hill Democrats are critical of Biden, the leader of their party, but say his and former President Trump's handling of classified document is much different.

By Madeleine Hubbard

Published: January 23, 2023 9:50am

Updated: January 23, 2023 11:20am

Congressional Democrats are criticizing how President Biden handled classified documents since his time as vice president.

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin told CNN on Sunday he was "concerned" about the multiple batches of classified documents discovered at Biden's home and former office.

"To think that any of them ended up in boxes in storage one place or the other is just unacceptable," the Illinois Democrat said.

However, Durbin and fellow congressional Democrats say how Biden is handling the matter is much different than how former President Trump is.

"He has shown total cooperation in this effort," Durbin said. "That is a sharp contrast to President Trump."

Trump's allegedly failed to comply with federal efforts to recover documents from the Trump White House, which resulted in the FBI this past summer raiding his Florida estate. Biden's home was searched by the FBI, reportedly in coordination with the president's attorneys.

"It is outrageous that either occurred," Durbin also said Sunday.

Trump's office told Just the News after the raid that the materials were declassified under a "standing order" while he was in the Oval Office in order to allow him to take the materials home to continue working.

"Classified documents have to remain in classified settings," Democrat Rep. Mondaire Jones also said Sunday on CNN. said:

However, the New York lawmaker also said he suspects the Biden documents matter was an "oversight" and not as bad as the one involving Trump.

"This is in stark contrast, of course, to the situation with Donald Trump, who has obstructed every step of the way, to the point where federal law enforcement officers had to go and physically take documents that the president refused repeatedly to produce," he said.

Said West Virginia Democrat Sen. Joe Manchin: "It's unbelievable how this could happen. It's totally irresponsible."

Manchin said he is unsure whether Biden or Trump's actions were worse, saying, "I don't know. ... Let's find out."