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Associated Press
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
House Oversight Committee expands inquiry into Biden's mental condition and final acts in office
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Oversight Committee is requesting interviews with members of former President Joe Biden's innermost circle as Republicans ramp up their investigation into the final moves of the Biden administration. Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky, a Republican, requested transcribed interviews with five Biden aides, alleging they had participated in a 'cover-up' that amounted to 'one of the greatest scandals in our nation's history.' 'These five former senior advisors were eyewitnesses to President Biden's condition and operations within the Biden White House,' Comer said in a statement. 'They must appear before the House Oversight Committee and provide truthful answers about President Biden's cognitive state and who was calling the shots.' Interviews were requested with White House senior advisers Mike Donilon and Anita Dunn, former White House chief of staff Ron Klain, former deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed and Steve Ricchetti, a former counselor to the president. Comer reiterated his call for Biden's physician, Kevin O'Connor, and former senior White House aides Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, Ashley Williams and Neera Tanden to appear before the committee. He warned subpoenas would be issued this week if they refuse to schedule voluntary interviews. 'I think that people will start coming in the next two weeks,' Comer told reporters. He added that the committee would release a report with its findings 'and we'll release the transcribed interviews, so it'll be very transparent.' Democrats have dismissed the effort as a distraction. 'Chairman Comer had his big shot in the last Congress to impeach Joe Biden and it was, of course, a spectacular flop,' said Rep. Jamie Raskin, the Maryland Democrat who served as the ranking member on the oversight committee in the previous Congress. 'And now he's just living off of a spent dream. It's over. And he should give up the whole thing.' Republicans on the committee are eager to pursue the investigation. 'The American people didn't elect a bureaucracy to run the country,' said Rep. Brandon Gill, a freshman Republican from Texas. 'I think that the American people deserve to know the truth and they want to know the truth of what happened.' The Republican inquiry so far has focused on the final executive actions of Biden's administration, which included the issuing of new federal rules and presidential pardons that they claim may be invalid. Comer cited the book 'Original Sin' by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, which details concerns and debates inside the White House and Democratic Party over Biden's mental state and age. In the book, Tapper and Thompson wrote, 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.' Biden and members of his family have vigorously denied the book's claims. 'This book is political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class,' said Naomi Biden, the former president's granddaughter. Biden withdrew from the presidential race last summer after a debate against Trump in which he appeared to lose his train of thought multiple times, muttered inaudible answers and misnamed different government programs. The disastrous debate performance pushed questions about his age and mental acuity to the forefront, ultimately leading Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. He was replaced on the ticket by Kamala Harris, who lost the election to President Donald Trump.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Biden's shadow handlers who allegedly ran the White House revealed
A team of Biden administration insiders known as the 'politburo' were the 'ultimate decision-makers' running America as the president's cognitive health declined, according to a new tell-all book. A trio of senior political veterans who had known President Joe Biden for decades worked closely with his wife, Dr Jill Biden, and occasionally his troubled son, Hunter, to run the show, according to Jake Tapper's book, Original Sin. 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,' one source told the authors, Tapper and Alex Thompson. 'In practice, Bruce Reed was the real domestic policy adviser, Mike Donilon was the actual political director, Steve Ricchetti controlled Legislative Affairs, and Klain controlled a bit of everything.' The book states that this group could, and would, make decisions without consulting department heads, keeping Biden at an arms length from his own cabinet members and even some of his political aides. One anonymous insider told the authors: 'I've never seen a situation like this before, with so few people having so much power. They would make huge economic decisions without calling [Treasury] Secretary Yellen.' The phrase 'politburo' is generally reserved for the upper echelon of power within a communist state. Donilon had served as a senior advisor to Biden from the beginning of his presidency, but had been a close confidante of Biden's since at least the 1980s. He was described as a 'true believer' in Biden, and enjoyed mutual trust with the president. 'The president valued Mike Donilon's advice so much that aides would later joke that if he wanted, he could get Biden to start a war,' Thompson and Tapper wrote. Klain (pictured with Biden) had also known Biden since the 1980s and was influential over policy decisions and key messaging. According to the book, Biden's aides had heard him boast of Klain over the years. He would reportedly say: 'Only one person here is smarter than me, and it's Ron.' The book claims: 'Biden showed a particular deference to Klain even though his chief of staff was often more progressive. Biden had deep respect for Klain's intellect.' And Ricchetti (pictured) was a counselor to Biden throughout the presidency, also working as chief of staff during his vice presidency under Barack Obama. Obama had, according to the book, expressed concerns about the 'hangers-on' within Biden's circle. According to the book, both Jill and Hunter Biden were prominent and permanent fixtures within Biden's circle of trust. This is despite aides and insiders partially blaming Hunter for the president's rapid deterioration. 'To understand Joe Biden's deterioration, top aides told us, one has to know Hunter's struggles,' the book stated. While promoting his book, Tapper was asked about Hunter's role in the administration and influence over his father. Fueled by information garnered through interviews with more than 200 people for the book, Tapper answered: 'I think Hunter was driving the decision-making for the family in a way that people - he was almost like a chief of staff of the family. 'It's bizarre because I think he is provably demonstrably unethical, sleazy, and prone to horrible decisions,' Tapper - whose book is called Original Sin - added. 'After his brother died, he cheated on his wife with his brother's widow and then got her addicted to crack. I don't have a lot of personal regard for him, and just based on having nothing to do with,' he added later on. 'I barely have ever met him. I've met him like once or twice.'
Daily Mail
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
The Biden shadow handlers who were REALLY running the White House, insiders reveal
A team of Biden administration insiders known as the 'politburo' were the 'ultimate decision-makers' running America as the president's cognitive health declined, according to a new tell-all book. A trio of senior political veterans who had known President Joe Biden for decades worked closely with his wife, Dr Jill Biden, and occasionally his troubled son, Hunter, to run the show, according to Jake Tapper's book, Original Sin. Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti and Bruce Reed were the core three decision-makers, the book claims, adding that former senior adviser to the president Annie Tomasini and former White House chief of staff Ron Klain were also 'at times' part of the group. 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,' one source told the authors, Tapper and Alex Thompson. 'In practice, Bruce Reed was the real domestic policy adviser, Mike Donilon was the actual political director, Steve Ricchetti controlled Legislative Affairs, and Klain controlled a bit of everything.' The book states that this group could, and would, make decisions without consulting department heads, keeping Biden at an arms length from his own cabinet members and even some of his political aides. One anonymous insider told the authors: 'I've never seen a situation like this before, with so few people having so much power. They would make huge economic decisions without calling [Treasury] Secretary Yellen.' The phrase 'politburo' is generally reserved for the upper echelon of power within a communist state. Donilon had served as a senior advisor to Biden from the beginning of his presidency, but had been a close confidante of Biden's since at least the 1980s. He was described as a 'true believer' in Biden, and enjoyed mutual trust with the president. 'The president valued Mike Donilon's advice so much that aides would later joke that if he wanted, he could get Biden to start a war,' Thompson and Tapper wrote. Klain had also known Biden since the 1980s and was influential over policy decisions and key messaging. According to the book, Biden's aides had heard him boast of Klain over the years. He would reportedly say: 'Only one person here is smarter than me, and it's Ron.' The book claims: 'Biden showed a particular deference to Klain even though his chief of staff was often more progressive. Biden had deep respect for Klain's intellect.' And Ricchetti was a counselor to Biden throughout the presidency, also working as chief of staff during his vice presidency under Barack Obama. Obama had, according to the book, expressed concerns about the 'hangers-on' within Biden's circle. Most recently, former White House aide Annie Tomasini found herself caught in the crossfires of fury over Biden's use of autopen during his term. Government Reform Committee Chairman James Comer confirmed last week he had tried to subpoena three key White House aides during the Biden administration - including Tomasini. He said 'the Biden White House obstructed the Committee's investigation and refused to make the aides available for depositions or interviews.' According to the book, both Jill and Hunter Biden were prominent and permanent fixtures within Biden's circle of trust. This is despite aides and insiders partially blaming Hunter for the president's rapid deterioration. 'To understand Joe Biden's deterioration, top aides told us, one has to know Hunter's struggles,' the book stated. While promoting his book, Tapper was asked about Hunter's role in the administration and influence over his father. Fueled by information garnered through interviews with more than 200 people for the book, Tapper answered: 'I think Hunter was driving the decision-making for the family in a way that people - he was almost like a chief of staff of the family. 'It's bizarre because I think he is provably demonstrably unethical, sleazy, and prone to horrible decisions,' Tapper - whose book is called Original Sin - added. 'After his brother died, he cheated on his wife with his brother's widow and then got her addicted to crack. 'I don't have a lot of personal regard for him, and just based on having nothing to do with,' he added later on.
Fox News
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
New book reveals Biden's inner circle worried about his age years before botched debate performance
A new book about President Joe Biden's cognitive decline and his administration's alleged cover-up has forced a reckoning in the Democratic Party. Biden's aides worried about his age long before his consequential 2024 presidential debate against then-former President Donald Trump, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson reveal in their book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," which was released on Tuesday. "During an eight-day, grueling bus tour in Iowa in December 2019, Biden gave his aides pause. While doing prep, he struggled to remember the name of longtime aide Mike Donilon. 'You know, you know,' he said, groping for it. His aides side-eyed one another–Donilon had worked for Biden since 1981," Tapper and Thompson wrote. That was not the only time aides worried about Biden on the 2020 presidential campaign trail, according to the book. The journalists described aides "white-knuckling" through debate performances as they "shied away from tough interviews" because Biden no longer communicated the way he did as senator or vice president. The book details his aides' concerns on the 2020 campaign trail that voters in battleground states were seeing a "diminished man" who was "not always 100 percent" during the relentless campaign schedule. Without the COVID-19 pandemic, his aides "doubted Biden could have otherwise kept up the pace of campaigning through November." However, even during the pandemic, Tapper and Thompson described Biden as struggling to stay on message as his aides tried to soften his blunders. Two aides who grew closer to Biden during lockdown, Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, "loaded a written Q&A into a prompter ahead of a local interview – a document that the campaign had used in prep with Biden," according to the book. "The team was constantly trying to change the Zoom configurations and production designs to adapt to him. Aides privately noted that they couldn't rely on him to stay on message, and he often had a very short attention span." Tapper and Thompson describe a turning point during the 2020 campaign when Biden struggled to follow virtual conversations with American voters through a series of monitors for the Democratic National Convention. "It was like a different person. It was incredible. This was like watching Grandpa who shouldn't be driving," one Democrat told the journalists. After watching the short, overly edited videos of Biden struggling to interact with voters, Democrats told Tapper and Thompson that they did not think Biden could be president. They said Democrats became angry imagining his aides seeing him like this every day. A Biden spokesperson, however, pushed back on the narrative of the book, telling Fox News Digital that "there is nothing in this book that shows Joe Biden failed to do his job, as the authors have alleged, nor did they prove their allegation that there was a cover-up or conspiracy." "Nowhere do they show that our national security was threatened or where the President wasn't otherwise engaged in the important matters of the Presidency," the spokesperson continued. "In fact, Joe Biden was an effective President who led our country with empathy and skill." However, those close to Biden told Tapper and Thompson that the "first signs he was deteriorating emerged after the death of his beloved son Beau in 2015." "Beau's cancer treatment also demonstrated the Bidens' capacity for denial and the lengths they would go through to avoid transparency about health issues, even when the person in question is an elected official, in this case the sitting attorney general of Delaware." Tapper and Thompson described how the Biden family went through great lengths to downplay or mislead the media about then-vice president Biden visiting his son in the hospital. "Beau's wife, Hallie, told people she didn't understand why they had to keep his illness a secret." Fox News Digital has written extensively dating back to the 2020 presidential campaign about Biden's cognitive decline and his inner circle's role in covering it up.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Biden visits students at Harvard Kennedy School
Former President Biden spoke with students at the Harvard Kennedy School in an off-the-record study group on Wednesday at the invitation of his longtime adviser, Mike Donilon. Donilon is one of nine fellows at the school's Institute of Politics for the spring. He was the chief strategist for Biden's 2020 campaign, served as a senior adviser to the leader during the first three years of his presidency and helped facilitate the Democrat's reelection campaign. 'The Institute of Politics gives students a chance to learn firsthand from prominent public servants across the political spectrum. Over the years, we've been honored to host former presidents and presidential candidates from both political parties, including George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Robert Dole, Jeb Bush, John McCain, Al Gore, and now President Biden, who was invited by his longtime advisor Mike Donilon,' the Harvard Kennedy School said in a statement to The Hill. 'As a school devoted to training the next generation of public leaders, we are proud to welcome senior policy makers and political figures representing a broad cross-section of views to engage with our students,' the school added. The Kennedy School fellow did not announce the details of Biden's appearance, and only a select group of students were asked to attend. Students who serve as Donilon's associates were invited to the event, despite typically having guaranteed access to study groups, The Harvard Crimson reported. Officials heightened security by closing off the first floor of the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, according to the outlet. Biden's team did not immediately respond to The Hill's request for comment on the event. His visit comes amid tensions between the school and the Trump administration, which has resulted in a $2 billion freeze in federal funds for the Ivy League. On Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the cancelation of more than $2.7 million in grants to the university. Biden's presence was not related to the conflict, according to the Boston Globe. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
