WASHINGTON – Did Special Counsel Robert Hur cross the line when he attacked President Joe Biden’s mental acuity in a report that was supposed to be about the mishandling of classified documents? Former prosecutors − even some Republicans − say he did that and more.

On Thursday, Biden himself angrily accused Hur of gratuitous slander in announcing that the president would not face criminal charges, in part, because he was "an elderly man with a poor memory."

A day later, prominent Democrats including former attorney general Eric Holder and Vice President Kamala Harris – both former prosecutors – rushed to Biden’s defense. So did a host of other legal experts on social media and in interviews with USA TODAY.

Some Republicans did too, saying Hur went overboard with his description of Biden’s performance during an interview with prosecutors. Hur's 388-page report included shocking details describing how the 81-year-old president allegedly didn’t remember when he was vice president or when his son Beau died of brain cancer. Biden angrily refuted those accusations Thursday night.