Biden’s Executive Privilege Boomerang

Suddenly he’s claiming for himself an immunity he denied to his predecessor.

AP/Matt Rourke
President Biden speaks at Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, January 5, 2024. AP/Matt Rourke

Executive privilege for me, not for thee. That seems to be President Biden’s position when it comes to one of the hallmarks of the constitutional presidency, the expectation that the private deliberations of the commander in chief are protected from the prying eyes of the public — and even the solons on Capitol Hill. It’s a prerogative that dates back to Washington’s second term, yet one Mr. Biden refuses for his predecessor, President Trump.

Now, though, Mr. Biden is invoking executive privilege for himself against Republicans in the House. The legislators want access to  audio tapes of the president’s interviews with Special Counsel Robert Hur over his handling of classified documents. Mr. Biden demurs, citing “the absence of a legitimate need,” as his White House counsel, Ed Siskel, puts it. He even laments that they might — heaven forfend — be used “for partisan political purposes.”

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