Ashley Etienne, once an aide to former Vice President Kamala Harris, said on Sunday that she believed the release of audio from former President Joe Biden’s interview with then Special Counsel Robert Hur would ultimately help Democrats and could even be good for Biden.

The audio, which was released on Friday afternoon, painted a picture that reflected Hur’s assessment — that Biden was an elderly man who was at best, forgetful. The consensus across much of the media was that it only reinforced claims that Biden had been diminished long before the White House or even other Democrats and members of the press admitted it.

But according to Etienne, who appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, the release of the audio was far less damaging than it could have been primarily because it would be out of the news cycle long before any of the Democrats who’d defended Biden’s cognitive acuity and overall fitness had to run for reelection.

WATCH:

Guest on @MeetThePress, @AshleyEtienne09, contends re audio tapes of Biden: “It’s clear to me that President Trump released the tape because he’s trying to distract from his unprecedented disastrous first 100 days.” Moreover, “it’s good for Joe Biden, it’s good for the Democratic… pic.twitter.com/FfPk5LPj2l

— Brent Baker 🇺🇲🇺🇦 🇮🇱 (@BrentHBaker) May 18, 2025

Etienne began by suggesting that the audio had been released intentionally to distract voters from the first 100 days of his current term.

“This is how I see it. The real question is: Why release this tape now?” she mused. “And it’s clear to me that President Trump released the tape because he’s trying to distract from his disastrous – unprecedented – disastrous first 100 days. I mean, we’ve all been talking about that at the table today.”

“So to me that’s what’s at play. Imagine a situation where you’re so desperate, so under water on every issue that you play your best card in the first six months of an administration. So the way I see this is: This is good for Joe Biden. It’s good for the Democratic Party, because we can dispense with this now and not closer to the midterm election –” Etienne continued.

“You think it’s good for Joe Biden?” anchor Kristen Welker interrupted.

“Meaning …” Etienne prompted.

“– it does raise new questions about his decision not to get out sooner as you just heard Chris Murphy say,” Welker finished.

“Well, I do believe that I think the problem with the Democratic Party right now is that we’ve not produced an autopsy, we’ve not produced an assessment of what actually happened in the election and to address this issue head on. If we were to, we can reconcile, coalesce, speak with one voice, and move past it,” Etienne concluded.

President Donald Trump shared his thoughts on Sunday after learning that his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, had been diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer that had already metastasized to his bones.

Trump responded to the sad news in a post on his Truth Social platform that was also shared by the White House’s official X account, saying that he and First Lady Melania Trump wished Biden and his family the best and hoped his treatment and recovery would be quick.

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery,” he posted.

“Melania and I are saddened to hear about @JoeBiden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.” –President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/6HjermTGK7

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 18, 2025

The news of Biden’s diagnosis broke on Sunday, just five days after it was reported that his doctors had discovered a “nodule” on his prostate and were conducting a more thorough examination.

“Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms. On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterized by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone,” Biden’s team said in a statement. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management. The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris also shared her thoughts on the news in a post to X, saying, “Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and optimism that have always defined his life and leadership. We are hopeful for a full and speedy recovery.”

Doug and I are saddened to learn of President Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis. We are keeping him, Dr. Biden, and their entire family in our hearts and prayers during this time. Joe is a fighter — and I know he will face this challenge with the same strength, resilience, and… pic.twitter.com/gG5nB0GMPp

— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) May 18, 2025