President Joe Biden got defensive when asked how he has handled the FBI finding classified documents in his possession.
During an interview with David Muir on "World News Tonight," Muir began the heated exchange by reminding Biden how he described Trump's classified document incident last year during an appearance with "60 Minutes."
"You called the Trump discovery irresponsible. Is there something irresponsible here, though, too?" Muir questioned.
In response, Biden said, "you know, you're a good lawyer, but you're trying to make a comparison. There are degrees of irresponsibility that are; they can be significant degrees of irresponsibility."
However, the president admitted that "not everything was gone through as meticulously as it should have" when boxes were packed up from his then-vice presidential office.
"Can you assure the American people that none of the documents discovered in your garage or your old office compromised sources or methods or U.S. intelligence?" Muir asked Biden.
Biden said that his lawyers had advised him not to comment on the Justice Department's investigation, despite his remarks on the FBI raiding Trump's Mar-a-Lago home.
He then emphasized that "very few documents that have been confiscated, found in my possession."
Muir, however, suggested that Biden was hypocritical when dodging questions on the matter.
"There are many who will understand why you can't comment, why your lawyers are saying not to comment," Muir said, adding, "they also saw you, though, comment on former President Trump. And so, at the very least -"
Recommended
"Because, look, here's what they were showing - you guys were showing on television things lying on the ground that said 'top secret,' national, you know, 'code word,'" Biden said, interrupting Muir.
He was referring to the classified documents scattered on the floor by FBI agents during the raid at Trump's residence.
The president continued to defend his situation, saying, "and the difference is every single solitary thing I've been asked to do, I've done voluntarily. I've invited the Justice Department to come into every aspect of any place that I had any control of. There was no need for search warrants, no need - well, what do you need? Just come, whatever you want. Whatever you want, wherever you want to go, you can go. That was totally different."
Join the conversation as a VIP Member