Classified documents found at homes of Biden and Pence
On Jan. 20, 2023, the FBI searched the home of President Joe Biden in order to recover classified documents that he had allegedly taken during his time as Barack Obama’s vice president. While the President’s approval had remained steady at around 43% since December, Biden’s approval among voters has taken a hit due to the documents scandal.
While Democrats and allies of the President have sought to defend Biden by saying he did not know about the documents and turned them over the second he found them, many are now uneasy about his chances of reelection in 2024. According to Politico, “The discovery of new papers has created a political headache after Democrats sought to hammer Trump for his handling of classified material,” Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) said. “It couldn’t get any worse.” Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) agreed with this sentiment. “I don’t think any classified documents should be in someone’s house,” Kelly said.
The scandal has been a windfall for the newly sworn-in Republican controlled House of Representatives, which now has the power to investigate Biden. Roughly eight in ten Republicans say that President Biden handled the situation poorly while nearly three quarters of Democrats approve of it.
Biden is not alone in this scandal, as more classified documents were discovered at the home of former Vice President Mike Pence. This has led to much speculation over how common it is for former presidents and vice presidents to keep classified material after their time in office is over, as well as the legality of such actions. According to Time Magazine, “the problem is actually fairly common among those who work in the executive branch.” This raises the question of how many former cabinet members have classified documents in their possession, and whether this could lead to further problems.
