Joe Biden referenced classified information located at his Virginia home in tapes recorded in 2016 and 2017.
Posted by The Charlie Kirk Show, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 78%
The Charlie Kirk ShowJul 30, 2026
Multiple tier1 sources report that a February 2017 Biden ghostwriter tape has him saying he 'just found all the classified stuff downstairs' while in his rented Virginia home, and the DOJ/Hur material ties the Virginia home to the classified material.
Our two reads of who says this, and how, disagree, so it counts as the post's own claim.
What was said
… And the timeline for that was 2016-2017, correct? So this is after the Obama administration clears out. He's talking to his ghostwriter, and he actually references classified information that's at his Virginia home, at his rental. And so, in 2016, you're saying that you are hearing from these tapes yourself, senility? He had already lost his fastball in a major way. …
The Charlie Kirk Show · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The AP reports that Biden, in a 2017 session, appeared to admit retaining classified information from his time as vice president, and the BBC quotes him saying 'I just found all the classified stuff downstairs' in a February 2017 recording.[1][3]
Supports. ABC News reports that investigators believed Biden stored classified materials at a home he was renting in Virginia, and that in February 2017 tape recordings he said he 'just found all this classified stuff downstairs.'[5]
Supports. The DOJ special counsel report text says the February 2017 ghostwriter recording was made while Biden was in his Virginia home, and that the Virginia home was not authorized to store classified materials.[2]
Supports. The Hill and ABC4 report recordings from 2016 and 2017 in which Biden referenced classified material he apparently had at home, which supports the two-year timeframe.[4][6]
Context. The October 2016 recording has Biden saying 'They didn't even know I had this' about extensive notes, but sources do not clearly tie that 2016 reference to the Virginia home specifically.[1][3]
Sources
6 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 primary, 2 tier 1, 2 not rated
- 1Joe Biden interviews with memoir ghostwriter reveal him discussing sensitive informationapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports, context
- 2U.S. Department ofJusticejustice.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 3'I just found all the classified stuff downstairs,' Biden tells ghostwriter in recordingbbc.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports, context
- 4New Joe Biden audio records show memory struggles, reference ...thehill.com · tier 1 · cited for: supports
- 5A closer look at the Biden special counsel reportabcnews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Biden audio raises questions about cognitive abilities & ...abcnews4.com · not rated · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Joe Biden took classified documents while he was vice president.True
- Robert Hur recorded tapes of conversations with Joe Biden.True
- Joe Biden disclosed national security information to his ghostwriter Mark Zwonitzer.True
- Joe Biden took classified documents while he was a senator.True
- Robert Hur identified evidence that Joe Biden willfully retained classified materials after his vice presidency.Can’t tell