Some have dismissed Axios' release of Biden's interview audio as a political "distraction" from controversies surrounding Trump's presidency.

In audio posted in full by the news site Axios, Biden can be heard faltering while answering the special counsel’s questions, speaking softly and slowly between long, drawn-out pauses. His halting voice, often not above a mumble, competes with a loud ticking clock that overpowers the silence during delays in his speech.