Donald Trump targets Biden's mental health: GOP demands probe into autopen use, Presidential fitness under microscope
Now, the United States House of Representatives is launching its own investigation into Joe Biden, specifically taking aim at allegations surrounding the former president's cognitive decline and the Democratic party's coverup of it.
Additional investigations are underway in the United States Senate, with the White House also conducting its own investigation into Joe Biden's alleged autopen use, which is a talking point Trump has leaned into quite often recently.
This political strategy has drawn considerable scrutiny, giving that the mid-term elections are due next year.
Donald Trump continues to bring up Biden health issues
Joe Biden was infamously in the headlines for his reported cognitive decline. While Biden's political opponents had been accusing him of being out of it as far back as his 2020 election campaign, matters really came to a head during the 2024 election cycle's first Presidential debate.
Joe Biden's performance during the June 27 debate hosted by CNN was widely panned by political pundits as being among the worst debate performances in modern American history.
This resulted in accusations of the Democratic party covering up Biden's cognitive decline to skyrocket.
As evidenced by the Republican party's current investigations, this is not a scandal Donald Trump or his operatives are willing to let die anytime soon.
Trump urges reporters to cover Biden's autopen and not Epstein pic.twitter.com/g2rb2he0f9
The House Oversight Committee investigation into Biden's alleged use of an autopen is being led by Representative Derrick Van Orden, who claimed that using an autopen was a violation of the United States Constitution's Article II, which vests executive authority solely with the President. As Van Ord said,
'It doesn't say chief of staff. It doesn't say an auto pen.'
CNN's debate moderator has also made accusations of a coverup
Donald Trump and the GOP aren't the only ones who've raised questions about Joe Biden's cognitive decline.
On May 2025, Jake Tapper, who was one of the debate moderators, published a book detailing Biden's decline called Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.
Tapper did, however, court controversy for promoting his book instead of focusing on Donald Trump's own scandals.
Still can't get over that Jake Tapper, the top guy at CNN, wrote a book about how everyone knew about Biden's mental decline but covered it up. He's the guiltiest of them all. In a sane world, he'd be fired for journalistic malpractice. But still top guy at CNN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
30 minutes ago
- NDTV
Trump Admin Asks US Supreme Court to Reinstate $783 Million In Research Funding Cuts
Washington: The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to cut hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of research funding in its push to roll back federal diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The Justice Department argued a federal judge in Massachusetts was wrong to block the National Institutes of Health from making $783 million worth of cuts to align with President Donald Trump's priorities. US District Judge William Young found that the abrupt cancellations ignored long-held government rules and standards. Young, an appointee of Republican President Ronald Reagan, also said the cuts amounted to "racial discrimination and discrimination against America's LGBTQ community." "I've never seen government racial discrimination like this," Young said at a hearing last month. An appeals court left the ruling in place. The ruling came in lawsuits filed by 16 attorneys general, public-health advocacy groups and some affected scientists. His decision addressed only a fraction of the hundreds of NIH research projects that have been cut. The Trump administration's appeal also takes aim at nearly two dozen cases over funding. Solicitor General D. John Sauer pointed to a 5-4 decision on the Supreme Court's emergency docket from April that allowed cuts to teacher training programs to go forward. The order shows that district judges shouldn't be hearing those cases at all, but rather sending them to federal claims court, he argued. "Those decisions reflect quintessential policy judgments on hotly contested issues that should not be subject to judicial second-guessing. It is hardly irrational for agencies to recognize-as members of this Court have done-that paeans to 'diversity' often conceal invidious racial discrimination," he wrote.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Indian students flagged difficulty in obtaining US student visa appointments: Govt
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has received several representations from Indian students and their families, flagging difficulty in obtaining US student visa appointments after American authorities announced an expanded screening and vetting for visa applicants, the government said on Thursday. In a written response to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh also said the MEA took up the matter with the US embassy in New Delhi as well as the US Department of State. The ministry was asked whether the government is aware of US student visa issues being faced by prospective Indian students. 'On 18 June 2025, US Department of State (DOS) issued a press release titled 'Announcement of Expanded Screening and Vetting for Visa Applicants'. In the said press release, DOS stated that it uses all available information in its visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to US national security,' the minister said. Under the new guidelines, the US would conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications. To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas would be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on their social media profiles to 'public', according to the guidelines. 'Following these developments, the Ministry of External Affairs has received several representations from Indian students and their families flagging difficulty in obtaining student visa appointments. The ministry took up the matter with US Embassy in New Delhi as well as the US Department of State,' Singh said. While the issuance of visa is a sovereign prerogative of the state concerned, the MEA has 'consistently raised' with the US embassy in New Delhi as well as the US State Department in Washington DC the issues being faced by prospective Indian students in obtaining US visas, he added. 'The Government of India remains engaged with the US Government to promote mutually advantageous and secure mobility frameworks that allow for streamlining avenues for legal mobility of students and professionals, and facilitating short-term tourist and business travel,' Singh said. In a written response to a separate query, the MoS said the Indian government remains engaged with authorities in the United States on 'addressing illegal immigration and human trafficking by taking strong action against the bad actors, criminal facilitators, and illegal immigration networks'. In a separate query, the MEA was asked whether the government has taken cognisance of the illegal-immigration rackets operating in the country that fraudulently send Indians abroad, causing loss of money and national reputation. The ministry issues advisories through the eMigrate portal, social media handles and other modes of publicity about the perils of fake job rackets and ways to prevent the same. 'Till June 2025, a total of 3,505 illegal agents in the country have been notified on the eMigrate portal,' Singh said. An awareness campaign on safe and legal migration through the eMigrate portal has been carried out by the ministry across the country by conducting workshops, training, information sessions, digital campaigns for media groups, police officials and law enforcement agencies, local administration, aspiring recruiting agents, entrepreneurs and the general public, the minister added. 'During these sessions, awareness emigration regulations, schemes beneficial for emigrants like Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana (PBBY), Pre-Departure Orientation Training (PDOT), eMigrate portal and various advisories issued by Indian embassies are brought to the notice of all stakeholders,' he said.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
What do the Epstein files reveal about Donald Trump? Here's the latest
In Washington, U.S. lawmakers have escalated pressure on the Justice Department over the Jeffrey Epstein files following multiple emerging developments: Attorney General Pam Bondi reportedly informed Donald Trump in May that his name appears in internal Epstein records; Republicans ended a House session early amid internal conflict over a vote on pressing DOJ disclosures; and Justice Department officials met with imprisoned Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell to explore possible leads. Against this backdrop, bipartisan calls have intensified for Bondi to testify before Congress Also Read: Republican rumblings: on Trump and the Epstein files What is the background of the Jeffrey Epstein case? Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died by suicide in a federal jail in August 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. He was previously convicted in 2008 in Florida for soliciting a minor, serving a controversial sentence that allowed him work release. Epstein's re-arrest in 2019 reignited public scrutiny over how he operated an alleged trafficking ring for years, often involving underage girls, with little accountability. Since his death, questions have remained about the extent of his connections, including to prominent global figures, and whether U.S. authorities have withheld critical information. In February 2025, the DOJ released an initial batch of declassified documents, including redacted flight logs and Epstein's contact book. However, many of these materials were already public. What are the latest developments in the Epstein files investigation? Congressional subpoena: On July 23, the House Oversight Subcommittee formally subpoenaed the DOJ, demanding the release of all Epstein-related records, including sealed files, internal DOJ communications, and evidence not yet made public. Maxwell to testify: Ghislaine Maxwell, the imprisoned former girlfriend of Epstein, is expected to testify before Congress on August 11. A closed-door interview with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has already taken place. Trump's name in files: U.S. President Donald Trump was told in May 2025 that his name appears 'multiple times' in the Epstein files. The White House has acknowledged the inclusion but emphasised that it is based on unverified references. Court rejects file unsealing: A Florida judge has blocked the DOJ's request to unseal grand jury records, citing legal protections. A similar petition remains under review in New York. $1.5 billion in suspicious transactions: Senator Ron Wyden has alleged that Treasury Department documents indicate over $1.5 billion in wire transfers tied to Epstein's network. He claims the DOJ has withheld these suspicious activity reports (SARs) from Congress. What do the Jeffrey Epstein files contain? According to the DOJ, the Epstein files include over 300 gigabytes of digital content and tens of thousands of images and videos, many involving minors and explicit content. The seized physical materials include flight manifests, photo albums, architectural plans of Epstein's residences, cash bundles, and contact directories. Authorities say that most of these materials remain sealed due to their illicit nature and the need to protect the victims' identities. What happens next in the Epstein investigation? The US House Oversight Subcommittee's subpoena may require the Department of Justice (DOJ) to release more documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, unless blocked by the courts. Ghislaine Maxwell is expected to testify before Congress in August. Her closed-door meeting with Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche in Florida was part of the DOJ's ongoing efforts to respond to calls for transparency. Mr Blanche said on social media that President Donald Trump had asked officials to 'release all credible evidence'. He added that the FBI and DOJ would review any information Maxwell provides on crimes involving victims. Also Read: Pam Bondi | Bonding for cover Meanwhile, lawmakers Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna have introduced the 'Epstein Files Transparency Act'. If supported by 218 members of the House of Representatives, it would direct the Attorney General to release all unclassified DOJ records related to Epstein. The outcome will influence how much more information becomes public in the coming months.
