A chorus of Joe Biden insiders who publicly defended the former president against concerns about his age and physical stamina sang a more somber tune in congressional testimonies, according to a report released Tuesday.
The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee interviewed 14 Biden aides as part of an investigation into the decision-making process at the Biden White House. Many of the aides portrayed a public image of Biden as competent and in control of White House affairs, dismissing questions about Biden’s gaffes, ramblings, and faulty memory as “offensive” or “gratuitous.”
But in private testimony, those aides admitted to internal concerns about Biden’s cognitive decline and lethargy. Others declined to discuss the issue, either dismissing questions or invoking their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. And some who publicly praised Biden, like White House flacks Ian Sams and Andrew Bates, admitted to House investigators they rarely saw or met with him.
The House report paints a scathing picture of the aides’ efforts to keep Biden’s declining health a secret from the American public and voters. The report attributes it to the aides circling the wagons for a political ally, while others, like Mike Donilon, stood to make $4 million in bonuses if Biden won reelection.
The Washington Free Beacon gathered the most notable examples of Biden officials singing a different tune about his health in private testimony than they did when addressing the public.
Kevin O’Connor – Physician to the President
Public: O’Connor publicly affirmed Biden’s fitness in public statements and health assessments. O’Connor stated in a Feb. 28, 2024, medical memo, “President Biden is a healthy, active, robust 81-year-old male, who remains fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency.”
Private: In his House testimony, O’Connor repeatedly invoked his Fifth Amendment rights when asked about Biden’s physical health, whether Biden was fit to be president, and whether he was ever directed to lie about Biden’s health.
Republicans recommended the District of Columbia Medical Board investigate O’Connor “for any potential wrongdoing” in Biden’s medical care, and whether he “produced false or misleading medical reports to the American people.”
Jeff Zients – Chief of Staff
Public: Zients described Biden in early 2024 as a “very energized president.” And he told Axios in August 2024, weeks after Biden dropped out of the presidential race, Biden would “finish the job as strong as we started it and continue to make history.”
Private: In his House testimony in September, Zients said he discussed with other officials how to “reduce the number of steps” Biden would take in order to prevent him from stumbling or falling in public. And Zients said Biden’s ability to remember names, including Zients’s, had “probably gotten more difficult” during the presidency.
Anita Dunn – Senior Adviser of Communications
Public: Dunn defended Biden in an MSNBC interview after the debate, acknowledging “it wasn’t his greatest debate,” but Biden “has been a great president, and that is the case he is going to take to the American people.”
Private: Dunn testified that she took part in discussions with senior officials about whether Biden should undergo a cognitive exam as part of his annual physical. Dunn cast it as a public relations strategy aimed at quelling any concerns about Biden’s age and frailty. But she ultimately decided against the strategy, according to the report.
Dunn described several ways in which Biden had noticeably aged during his presidency, saying, “I thought his voice was softer and that his childhood stutter reappeared.”
Karine Jean-Pierre – Press Secretary
Public: In many appearances at the White House press room podium, Jean-Pierre bristled at questions about Biden’s health and mental acuity, dismissing the inquiries as “offensive.”
When an interviewer asked Jean-Pierre if Biden had dementia, the flack said, “I can’t even believe you are asking me this question,” and abruptly ended the interview.
Jean-Pierre blasted Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report of an investigation into Biden’s handling of classified materials, which said Biden forgot key details of his life, such as the year in which his oldest son Beau died.
She used the term “cheap fakes” to dismiss videos that showed Biden freezing up during speeches.
Jean-Pierre was non-responsive to House investigators, referring investigators to O’Connor’s memo about Biden’s health.
She testified that the “cheap fakes” line was a “prepared” talking point, though she said she could not remember who crafted it.
Ian Sams and Andrew Bates – White House Press Officials
Public: Sams, a mainstay on cable news during the Biden presidency, created the narrative that Hur’s report made “gratuitous” statements about Biden’s failing memory. It was a line Sams and Bates used in the aftermath of the Hur report.
Private: Sams testified that he “very infrequent[ly]” met with Biden. Bates testified that he never listened to Biden’s interview with Hur. When asked how often he met with the president, Bates stated “not very frequently.”
Ron Klain – Chief of Staff
Public: Klain described Biden as “vigorous” and “mentally acute” in an MSNBC interview on March 8, 2024. “He is great in meetings in the White House.”
Private: Klain’s hopes were dashed mid-debate, when Biden declared in a rambling answer, “We beat Medicare.” Klain testified that he stood up at that moment and declared, “We’re fucked.”
Mike Donilon – Senior Campaign Strategist
Public: At a Harvard University event earlier this year, Donilon dismissed concerns Biden was “mentally impaired.” “I don’t know how much time any of those people spent with him—I know how much time I spent with him,” said Donilon. “I know what I saw. What I can tell you is every time I saw Biden overseas, especially in Ukraine and NATO, he was the voice in the room.”
Private: In his House testimony, Donilon said he intentionally “cut back” Biden’s work schedule to deal with fatigue and had numerous conversations with White House staff, including Zients, about lightening Biden’s workload.
Donilon said it was “a lot to ask” Biden to fly from Italy to Los Angeles and thought Biden should attend “fewer events.”
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