Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said Sunday on CNN’s “State of the Union” that President Joe Biden bore “ultimate responsibility” for the classified material found at his home and office.
Anchor Dana Bash said, “I want to turn to the new classified documents that the FBI found at the president’s house in Delaware. It was a 13-hour search that happened on Friday. It’s just the latest revelation of the president having classified items that he shouldn’t have. You’ve been in Congress for 40 years. You’ve handled classified material for a lot of those years, probably most of them. How concerned are you about this?”
Durbin said, “Well, I’m concerned. There’s a standard we follow when it comes to members of Congress and classified information.”
He continued, “To think that any of them ended up in boxes in storage one place or the other is just unacceptable. Having said that, let me make this point clear. Joe Biden has said from the start we are going to be totally transparent about this. Let the chips fall where they may. I’m going to open my home voluntarily to a search, not the first search, I’m sure, of his offices and home. He has shown total cooperation in this effort. That’s a sharp contrast to President Trump.”
Durbin added, “It is outrageous that either occurred, but the reaction by the former president and the current president could not be in sharper contrast.”
Bash said, “They are. They are very different, no question about that. Having said that, you are a politician. You’ve been around for a while, and you understand how these things play out. Do you fear that, because of that, the current president has kind of lost the high ground on this notion of classified information being where it shouldn’t be?”
Durbin said, “Well, of course. Let’s be honest about it — when that information is found. It diminishes the stature of any person in possession of them. It’s not supposed to happen. Whether it was the fault of a staffer or an attorney, it makes no difference. The elected official bears ultimate responsibility.”
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