Four senior officials in former President Joe Biden's administration are set to testify in a House probe into Biden's health while in office.
Newsweek reached out to Jill and Joe Biden's office via online form Tuesday for comment.
Why It Matters
Biden dropped out of the 2024 presidential race in late July following a disastrous debate performance against then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Biden repeatedly stared at Trump and made halting statements where he appeared to lose his train of thought. Biden later said he had "a bad, bad night."
Questions swirled about his mental acuity and possible decline as the White House and then Vice President Kamala Harris fielded questions about his cognitive ability in the final months of his presidency.
Biden also faced harsh feedback as excerpts from CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson's book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again were published.
What To Know
According to Politico, citing a House Oversight Committee aid, former deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, former deputy director of Oval Office operations Ashley Williams, former director of the Domestic Policy Council Neera Tanden, and Anthony Bernal, former senior adviser to the then first lady, are all set to testify in either June or July.
Committee Chair James Comer requested their cooperation with the probe in May and also sent Biden's physician, Kevin O'Connor, a subpoena last week, Politico reports.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Comer said that he requested O'Connor appear for a deposition on June 27, 2025.
Trump has pushed White House lawyers to look into whether Biden's aides covered up his alleged health decline, Reuters reports.
Biden also revealed last month that he had been diagnosed with an "aggressive" form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to the bone.
What People Are Saying
House Oversight Committee on X over the weekend: "Even Obama's doctor admits the truth. This is precisely why Chairman @RepJamesComer subpoenaed Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's physician. This is a scandal of historical proportions, and we will investigate it thoroughly!"
Trump on Truth Social in May after Biden's diagnosis: "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."
Biden in a statement last week: "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false," Biden said.
"This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations."
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