Recommended charges against joe biden today, he tried to explain why he did not tried. The lead starts right now the report by Special Counsel robert hur, ripped apart today On Capitol Hill republicans questioning why no charges. Despite a report finding joe biden knowingly mishandled classified documents, democrats on the other hand, accusing her of Playing Politics with lines in his report about bidens age and memory what did todays hearing really achieved . Well talk to a democrat who was in the room. Plus, why did the Justice Department release a transcript of President Bidens interview with robert hur just as the Special Counsel was showing up On Capitol Hill. Go incidents. Were going to dig deeper into what that transcript reveals and confirmation today of tragic news that an american israeli hostage was killed by hamas back in october. His parents braun, the lead just last week, you know them, the hand family new reaction ahead from a republican senator who hosted the parents at the State Of The Union on thursday cnn Breaking News and welcome to the lead. Im jake to jake tapper and we start today with our Law And Justice lead the Special Counsel, who decided President Biden should not face charges over his mishandling of classified documents camins appeared On Capitol Hill today in an incredibly partisan and at times testy hearing. Robert hur pushing back on claims and attacks are both republicans and democrats trying to defend the lengthy report he wrote on why he came to this decision to not press charges against joe biden. The report found biden willfully retained Classified Information at paints did a picture of somebody that a jury would find forgetful, elderly, kind old man. But her insisted today nothing he did was driven in any way by politics partisan politics head no place whatsoever in my work. It had no place in the investigative steps that i took. It had no place in the decision that i made, and it had no place in a single word if my report and while robert hur decided to not recommend charges against the president , he pushed back on, Democrats Claims that his report totally exonerated biden instead saying he just didnt think he could win the case at trial if he did bring charges in this case, did you reach a conclusion that this man was outright innocent that conclusion is not reflected in my report, sir, you did not reach an idea that he had committed no wrong. You reached a conclusion that you would not prevail at trial and therefore did not take it forward. Is that correct . Correct. Congressman. And we are getting our first reaction from President Biden to this hearing just moments ago, he met with leaders of poland at the white house, Prime Minister and president longtime rivals united in their quest for more ukraine, a president and Prime Minister of poland, i mean, biden officially announced the new package of military aid for ukraine now in its third year at war with russia, lets listen so they actually we dont have the sound in yet. Leopard paula reid starts off our coverage. Polo. Tell us what you took away from the hearing while we wait for this biden sound to come in, i spoke to sources close to her this morning before you went in, they said his goal today is not make anyone happy. He said of everybody is angry, you know, i have to interrupt you. We have the sound from President Biden ceremony the former secretary of state, madeleine albright, may just following statement, she said, when we stand together, no force on earth is more powerful. We stand together know fortunately theres more powerful i believe that then can i believe it now . And we see it then, polish american Troops Service hi by side, nato and eastern flank, including in poland. And we see it in our commitment to strengthen nato is collective defenses. And im want to pause here and note that poland is spending nearly 4 of his Gross Domestic Product on defense. Much of a purchasing american what american Weapons Systems and aircraft as double the nato commitment, 4 . We also see it in our support for ukraine and the force of putins vicious onslaught against ukraine in a way that is border. I want to describe it i want to thank you both for polands unwavering security humanitarian assistance, including welcoming about 1 million ukrainian refugees. As my mother would say, god love doing gods work really are its incredible what youre doing with the polish people are doing today. United states is announcing an Emergency Package for ukraine using costsaving it means from previously approved pentagon contracts, the package includes munitions and round help. Ukraine hold the line against russias brutal attacks. For the next couple of weeks i have the authority to do without asking congress for some more money, right now. What ive asked him for a lot more money so were not nearly enough for what were announcing the day Congress Must pass the Bipartisan National Security bill. Now, which includes urgent funding for ukraine, we must act before it literally is too late, before its too late. Because its paul henri members. Russia wont stop at Ukraine Putin will keep going. Put in europe, the United States, the entire free world at risk in my view. So thank you both again for being here at this critical time. With that, mr. President , i handed over to you. The floor is yours mr. President. Ladies and gentlemen exactly 25 years ago on the 12th of march, 1999 well, then the czech republic, hungary, join the strongest alliance in the world. The dream of managing durations of poles came true there, is no better place to celebrate this special anniversary than the white house courageous decisions were made right here. The capital of the United States by both democrats and republicans. Nato expanded to the east. Poland joined the free world the west where it has always belonged and for those courageous decisions and for their unwavering support. I would like to thank all The Americans who contributed to them i express these tanks to you, mr. President , bearing in mind that at the time you were one of the leaders of the support in the us senate for poland succession to nato. I thank you on behalf of millions of polls during this 25 years we have shown that we are a reliable and proven airline even when our soldiers fought sidebyside with american soldiers in iraq and afghanistan poland. News for, you, other countries in the world that security comes at a price that is why we spent more than four of our for gdp on maintaining and modernizing our armed forces this is the highest percentage in the alliance. Russias aggression against ukraine clearly demonstrated that the United States is and should remain the security leader. But other allies must take more responsibility for the security of the alliance as a whole. That is why i believe its necessary for all nato countries to increase their Defense Spending from two to 3 of gdp 2 was good ten years ago. Now, 3 is required in response to the full scale war launched by russia, right beyond natos eastern border we pull, all right, lets bring in cnn senior white house correspondent, mj lee lee, because we know that President Biden, thats a tape turn, so we know what happens and he doesnt take questions and he doesnt say Anything Else. President biden. The president clearly trying to keep the focus on the announcement here on more aid for ukraine, not on Anything Else. Yeah. As you said, the president didnt take any questions from reporters in the room just moments after this Robert Hur Hearing has wrapped up, and the president making clear that this announcement of a 300 million new package for ukraine, that its not even nearly enough. He said that Vladimir Putin is not going to stop ukraine. Hes going to keep going. I should note jake, this package comes as a bit of a surprise given that the administration has been saying for weeks and weeks that the money that the us can provide to you ukraine has completely dried up, that the pot that the us would dip into has essentially just run out of resources. And what the administration is saying now is that they were able to approve an additional 300 million because of unanticipated cost savings from the defense department. But i should be very clear that the white house is making clear that this is a modest package, that it does not give ukraine everything that it needs, that it only helps ukraine for a short period of time. And that again, it is only a matter of weeks week for ukraine is again going to run out of ammunition. And this is why you heard the president once again and Jake Sullivan did the same thing. And this briefing with reporters that the Senate House Speaker mike johnson needs to take up the bill that came out of the senate, the National Security pretty bill that has some 60 billion of aid for ukraine. Obviously no signs right now that the speaker is interested in doing that, jake. All right. Mj lee at the white house for us. Thanks so much back to our other Breaking News story read todays Special Counsel, robert hur, On Capitol Hill today, trying to defend his decision to not recommend charges against President Biden for his mishandling of classified documents, also trying to defend the fact that he seemed to take some shots at bidens age and mental acuity in the report, cnns paula reid takes a closer look now at how her tried to fend off attacks from both sides while defending the integrity of his work. Do you swear or affirm under former Special Counsel robert hur grilled by lawmakers from both sides of the aisle today about his investigation into President Bidens mishandling of classified documents. Mr. Hur, why do you do it . Why did joe biden, in your words, willfully retained and disclosed classified materials . I mean, he knew the law in an office like 50 years. You exonerate a conviction. I know that exam room or its not im sure it has. Mr. Hurts my time bidens memory took center stage as hur said in his report that he did not charge biden because he believed a jury would see him as a sympathetic, wellmeaning, elderly man with a poor memory. You find in your report that the elements of a federal criminal violation are met, but then you apply this Senile Cooperators Theory that because joe biden cooperated and the elevator go to the top floor, you dont you get a conviction. You understood when you made that decision, didnt you, mr. Hur, that you would ignite a political firestorm with that language, didnt you . Congressman politics played no part whatsoever in my investigative steps. You cannot tell me youre so naive as to think your words who would not have created a political firestorm . You understood that hur told the committee he stood by the words in his report my assessment and the report about the relevance of the president s memory was necessary and accurate and fair. He was also pressed on the differences between bidens case and that of former President Trump. Those being that biden returned the documents, he allowed for searches, various properties, and even sat for a voluntary interview with the Special Counsel. Did you find that President Biden engaged in a conspiracy to obstruct justice no did you find that President Biden engaged in a scheme to conceal know for repeatedly made it clear he did not exonerate the president is hurted. You completely exonerated President Biden. That is not what my report does. Also emphasized that he was making a legal conclusion about bidens mental state, not a medical one. Mr. Hur, based on your report, did you find that the president was senile i did not. That conclusion does not appear in my report after the hearing. Chairman jordan said that he is interested in the recording of the interview that President Biden did with Special Counsel, her now her now the former special council, hes back to being a private citizen. He deferred to the Justice Department and the white house as to whether that recording will be released. Jake, i think its highly unlikely they will release that, but that will not stop republicans from making that Audio Recording likely an issue over the next seven months. All right. Paula reid, thanks so much. My next guest question. Robert hur in todays hearing, hes democratic congressman adam schiff of california joins me now. Thank you so much. Congressman schiff the basic argument youre making is that by calling President Biden a sympathetic, wellmeaning old man, elderly man with a poor memory, which is how he thought he would come across to a jury. That thats political what part of that construct is inaccurate . I mean, i assume you think hes sympathetic, wellmeaning, hes 81 and his memory, it doesnt seem great. Its not horrible, but i dont understand the outrage. Well, its simple as this as a prosecutor the Department Policy is you dont go out of your way to essentially vilify each of the reputation of someone when youre making a Declination Decision, what you put in your report is just whats necessary to support the conclusions of their ports. So fair game to say, he was asked about these documents that didnt recall how they got to the university it is not appropriate to engage in a subjective generalized essentially political assessment that is fodder during a campaign year. And he knew exactly what he was doing when he chose that language he has conducted im sure as any lawyer with his experience dozens and dozens of depositions, i deposed karl rove for the judiciary committee. He claimed a failure of dozens and dozens of times. There was ever suggestion that he was doing it because of his advanced age. That was simply gratuitously, wasnt anyone carlo know he wasnt, but but would were reading i mean, he he he does have i mean, look, i dont know that i would be any better if somebody is throwing names and dates. It mean i was 81 years old, but he does have issues here and there was that 19 was that 2017 was the 2016. Its not you know disqualifying, but he does have some memory issue that is a perfectly fair issue for Political Campaign is not a politically, not perfectly fair issue for a prosecutor to make an a Declination Decision more than fine for her to say with respect to this category of documents or that this is what the president said but this was deliberate it was as if her decided theres not enough evidence to prosecute him. So im going to politically slime him instead. What he would say, where he here is. I had to explain why i wasnt prosecuting him. Youve made that decision as a prosecutor, right . Im not going to take the i assume im not going to take this case before a jury because i dont know that we could win it. This person is going to seem sympathetic or i cant prove Beyond A Reasonable Doubt, et cetera and thats i mean, look, part of what he said in his Testimony Today was that we thought he did things willfully but he explained President Biden explain things that he forgot or whatever, and we couldnt necessarily impugn the claim of that. He just innocently forgot. We couldnt do that. That was another thing that he said. What didnt he have a responsibility her to explain why he wasnt prosecuting this person yes. And that explanation can be we didnt find sufficient evidence evidence to prove Beyond A Reasonable Doubt to a jury that he met all of the helmets. The defense we couldnt prove this Beyond A Reasonable Doubt. We couldnt prove that Beyond A Reasonable Doubt. What you dont do partook department of Justice Policy is not only observe care and not essentially pejorative, rising, damaging the reputation injecting yourself in a Political Campaign, but doing the opposite. Hur understood this report would be public. He knew every word of before had no matter what it was going to come out, no matter whats right about one more than that, he knew that garland was going i dont release it. And he knew that garlan