FILE – President Joe Biden responds a reporters question after speaking about the economy in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House Campus, Thursday, Jan. 12, 2023, in Washington. Virtually everything was going right for Biden to open the year. His approval ratings were ticking up. Inflation was slowing. And Republicans were at war with themselves after a disappointing midterm season. But Biden’s rosy political outlook veered into uncertainty after the Justice Department appointed a special counsel to investigate Biden’s handling of classified documents. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Virtually everything was going right for President Joe Biden to open the year. Biden’s approval ratings were ticking up. Inflation was slowing. And Republicans were at war with themselves after a disappointing midterm season. But Biden’s rosy political outlook veered into uncertainty Thursday after the Justice Department appointed a special counsel to investigate the Democratic president’s handling of classified documents. Democrats concede the stunning development is at best an unwelcome distraction at an inopportune time that muddies the case against Donald Trump. The Republican former president faces a special counsel of his own and is under federal criminal investigation for his handling of classified documents and other potential transgressions.