Biden Questioned 'How Anyone Could Be That Irresponsible' After Hearing About Documents Found at Mar-a-Lago
Eric Kerchner/60 Minutes President Biden on '60 Minutes'
President Joe Biden has broken his silence about the investigation into Donald Trump's handling of classified documents.
In an interview with 60 Minutes' Scott Pelley on Sunday evening, Biden reiterated the White House's previous claims that he is never briefed about updates in the investigation, and has learned new details of the case at the same time as the American people.
"I have not asked for the specifics of those documents," he told Pelley, "because I don't want to get myself in the middle of whether or not the Justice Department should move or not move on certain actions they could take."
Biden continued: "I agreed I would not tell them what to do and not in fact engage in telling them how to prosecute or not."
Biden's stance that it is not his place to get involved with Justice Department investigations is decidedly different from his predecessor's, who at times seemed to treat the DOJ as an extension of the executive branch. (Under oath before a House committee in June, three DOJ officials testified about the daily pressure Trump allegedly put on them after the 2020 presidential election to investigate voter fraud. According to testimony, when it became clear the DOJ could not find any evidence of fraud in the election, Trump directed them to "just say it was corrupt.")
JOSE ROMERO/US DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE/AFP via Getty Images
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer.
During Biden's sit-down with 60 Minutes, Pelley asked the president how he reacted when he saw the publicized image of several classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago.
Biden said he was left wondering "how that could possibly happen" and "how anyone could be that irresponsible."
"I thought, 'What data was in there that may compromise sources and methods?'" Biden said. "It's just totally irresponsible."
RELATED: Joe Biden Declares 'the Pandemic Is Over' While Discussing the Nation's Ongoing COVID Struggles
In other parts of Biden's conversation on 60 Minutes, he discussed inflation, the COVID-19 pandemic, violent foreign governments, his plans for 2024, and whether criticisms of his age and mental fitness are fair.
The full interview, which kicked off the TV newsmagazine's 55th season, can be viewed below.
