Representative James Comer (R-KY) is seeking to interview five former aides of President Biden, suggesting there’s been an attempt to obscure the president’s reported cognitive decline.
Comer has requested recorded statements from Neera Tanden, the former director of the National Policy Council, as well as aides Anthony Bernal, Annie Tomasini, and Biden’s physicians, including Ashley Williams.
“The American people need to understand when this decline started, how significant it is, and who has been making important decisions for him,” Comer, who chairs the House Committee on Surveillance and Government Reform, stated on Thursday.
He emphasized that key executive actions, like those related to what he termed the “Biden crime family,” should be viewed in the context of the president’s alleged cognitive decline.
This request for interviews comes as Comer’s committee plans a hearing focused on Biden’s cognitive health and the use of an autopen for signing documents during his presidency.
A group of Republican Senators is also calling for testimonies from Biden’s officials regarding accusations of cover-ups.
Both President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have dismissed claims of significant cognitive decline during his time in office.
Shortly after leaving the Oval Office, ongoing discussions and statements from journalists and former staff have brought forth reports regarding the president’s mental fitness.
A transcript from a two-day interview with former special advisor Robert Hur was made public last year, after the Biden administration intervened to prevent the release of audio recordings by the Justice Department.
Hur ultimately closed an investigation into the president’s management of confidential documents, describing him as a “well-meaning older man with poor memory.”
However, a newly leaked audio clip, highlighted by Axios, shows Biden experiencing noticeable pauses and disjointed thoughts.
Following his review of the segment, Comer remarked that Biden appeared indecisive and inconsistent.
Kentucky lawmakers are asking to interview five of the ex-president’s closest aides in front of a House committee scheduled for June 18th.
Biden’s mental capacity and age have gained attention recently, especially with the release of high-profile books about the upcoming 2024 presidential election — including “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again” by Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios, as well as “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” by Amie Parnes of The Hill and Jonathan Allen of NBC.
