Latest news with #TrumpInvestigation
Fox News
a day ago
- General
- Fox News
Crossing a Line? Trump Orders Probe of Biden Coverup of Mental Decline
Howie Kurtz on Trump opening an investigation into Biden's term, GOP senators expressing concern over Trump spending bill and Trump issuing travel bans on a dozen countries. Follow Howie on Twitter: @HowardKurtz For more #MediaBuzz click here
CBC
2 days ago
- Business
- CBC
Trump orders a review of Biden White House, citing political rival's 'cognitive decline'
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday directed his administration to investigate Joe Biden's actions as president, alleging aides masked his predecessor's "cognitive decline" and casting doubts on the legitimacy of his use of the autopen to sign pardons and other documents. The order marked a significant escalation in Trump's targeting of political adversaries and could lay the groundwork for arguments by the Republican that a range of Biden's actions as president were invalid. Biden responded in a statement Wednesday night: "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." The Justice Department under Democratic and Republican administrations has recognized the use of an autopen to sign legislation and issue pardons for decades, Trump presented no evidence that Biden was unaware of the actions taken in his name, and the president's absolute pardon power is enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. "The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts," Trump wrote in memo. Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington to handle the investigation. Questions 'validity' of Biden decisions, signatures It's unclear how far Trump will push this effort, which would face certain legal challenges. But it reflects his fixation on Biden, who defeated him in 2020, an election that Trump never conceded and continues to falsely claim was rigged against him. This week the president amplified a wild conspiracy theory that Biden died in 2020 and was replaced by a robotic clone. Trump frequently suggests that Biden was wrong to use an autopen, a mechanical device that replicates a person's authentic signature. Although they've been used in the White House for decades, Trump claims that Biden's aides were usurping presidential authority, with the memo questioning "the validity of … resulting Presidential policy decisions." WATCH l Explaining White House-driven autopen controversy: Can Trump really revoke Biden's pardons? | About That 3 months ago Duration 11:10 Biden issued pardons for his two brothers and his sister shortly before leaving office, hoping to shield them from potential prosecution under Trump, who had promised retribution during last year's campaign. Other pardon recipients included members of a congressional committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol, which included two Republicans now maligned by Trump. Trump, indicted in four separate criminal matters until three of those cases fell away in the wake of his November election win, spent considerable time railing on the campaign trail about a justice system he said was weaponized against Republicans, even as Democrats pointed out that members of their own party suspected of criminal wrongdoing had been investigated by the Justice Department of Biden's presidency. But now it is Trump who is suggesting that several political rivals should be investigated. He has directed investigations of Chris Krebs, a former cybersecurity official who disputed Trump's claims of a stolen election in 2020, and Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official who wrote an anonymous op-ed sharply critical of the president in 2018. As well, the Trump administration has said it will look into the intent of an Instagram post made by former FBI director James Comey, fired in 2017 by Trump, as well as investigate former Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo of New York for possible criminal wrongdoing over statements he's made about COVID-19 deaths in the state's nursing homes. Republicans could subpoena Biden White House staff Meanwhile, James Comer of Kentucky, the Republican chair of the House oversight committee, 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." 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. "They must appear before the House oversight committee and provide truthful answers about President Biden's cognitive state and who was calling the shots," said Comer, who led efforts to impeach Biden in the past two years that were mocked by Democrats as lacking a factual basis. Comer also 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. 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 congressional 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's 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 Trump.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Biden slams Trump's investigation into his autopen signature use
Joe Biden issued a blistering response to Donald Trump after the president ordered an investigation into his use of auto-pen during his term in the White House. Trump last night claimed there was a 'dangerous' conspiracy and misuse of executive power amid concerns over Biden's mental and physical health during his presidency. It came after months of claims of a cover-up by aides who may have worked to shield the extent of the Biden's cognitive decline from the public. Biden was quick to furiously defended his time as commander-in-chief, asserting that he was at the helm of all decisions. 'Let me be clear,' he said in a statement. '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 put the blame on Trump and the Republican Party, who are trying to draw attention away from the MAGA civil war currently happening over the current president's spending bill. 'This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans,' Biden said. He accused Trump's administration of '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.' Trump currently faces criticism about the bill from former 'First Buddy' Elon Musk but talk of Musk's betrayal fell to the wayside on Wednesday as Trump embarked on a mass rollout of major decisions for national security. The investigation was announced during a busy evening for Trump who also issued sweeping travel restrictions on people from 19 countries and banned visas for foreigners coming to the US to study at Harvard University. Trump's probe into Biden will see all of the pardons, clemency grants, executive orders, presidential memoranda, and other presidential policy decisions issued by the former president investigated. Actions under review would include Biden's pardons for son Hunter and other family members and orders related to a variety of areas including education, immigration, health care, climate change and more. He also ordered a investigation into which Biden aides may have worked to shield the then-president's mental and physical condition to the public. 'This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,' Trump said. 'The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.' Biden recently announced he was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer, sparking rampant conspiracy theories about whether medical professionals were aware of his illness while he was president. CNN anchor Jake Tapper's new book that claims to blow the lid off of the White House campaign that hid Biden's health decline from the American people has also sparked widespread backlash. Missouri Senator Josh Hawley also claims to have been told by a Secret Service whistleblower that Biden got lost in his own closet at the White House. Many wonder who exactly was in charge of the administration given Biden's alleged condition, with some looking toward the president's wife and troubled son. Hunter Biden, who was convicted last year of three felonies over an illegal gun, and the former First Lady Jill Biden have been accused of wielding significant power over the president in his final days. He was treated 'like a chief of staff' despite being 'provably, demonstrably unethical, sleazy and prone to horrible decisions,' Tapper said in a recent interview about the health cover-up. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused Jill Biden of participating in a 'cover up' about her husband's health and said she should speak with House Republican investigators who are ramping up a probe. 'Jill Biden was certainly complicit in that cover up,' Leavitt told reporters at the White House when asked about a House Republican request to a handful of top former Biden administration officials. But former Biden administration insiders have railed against any conspiracy, noting the autopen technology has been used by presidents for years. Sources close to the president have argued officials would use the autopen only after he had made a conclusive decision on a matter. Trump believes the use of the autopen invalidates Biden's orders. If his administration can get the courts to agree, it could undo thousands of actions taken by the former president. It's unclear which documents from the Biden administration were signed by the then-president and which may have been signed by an electronic pen. Biden was pictured signing some orders while in office, including ones on the use of AI and on gun safety issues. The power of the president to issue pardons is also broad, and does not necessarily require a signature. This could limit Trump's scope if he tries to argue that the use of an autopen should reverse such decisions. His allies have pushed back on reports his mental and physical health were on the decline during his tenure. But a spate of recent books on his presidency have raised numerous questions about the matter. Trump also demanded a look into 'any activity, coordinated or otherwise, to purposefully shield the public from information regarding Biden's mental and physical health .' White House counsel David Warrington, along with Attorney General Pam Bondi (pictured right), will lead the probe. Trump has been vocal as he rallied against the use of autopen since he returned to the White House, despite accepting he has used the technology in the past. 'I understand he signed almost everything with an auto pen,' Trump said of Biden last week. 'It really means you're not president.' The Trump White House noted that the Biden administration issued 1,200 Presidential documents, appointed 235 judges to the Federal bench, and issued more pardons and commutations than any administration in United States history. Wednesday's order could result in those multiple actions taken by Biden challenged in court. Previously, the courts have ruled use of the autopen legal but that was during the Obama administration and the makeup of judges has changed since then. Trump's order calls for Warrington and Bondi to investigate 'whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.' Trump also argued aides did not have the power to sign documents in Biden's name. 'If his advisors secretly used the mechanical signature pen to conceal this incapacity, while taking radical executive actions all in his name, that would constitute an unconstitutional wielding of the power of the Presidency, a circumstance that would have implications for the legality and validity of numerous executive actions undertaken in Biden's name,' he noted in the order. In Wednesday's White House press briefing, Fox News' Peter Doocy brought up the use of the autopen, arguing Biden's signature appeared different - and genuine - on certain documents, such as the pardon for his son Hunter Biden. 'The President is making a good point when he discusses the usage of the autopen and who was running the country for the past four years,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt replied. 'The American people deserve answers,' she added.
Khaleej Times
2 days ago
- Health
- Khaleej Times
Trump orders probe into 'conspiracy' to hide Biden's health decline
US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered an investigation into what Republicans claim was a cover-up of Joe Biden's declining cognitive health during his term in the White House. "This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history," a presidential memorandum reads. The move is the latest in a long-running campaign by Trump to discredit his predecessor, which has been joined by Republican Party politicians and their cheerleaders in conservative media. They cite Biden's infrequent public appearances while in office, as well as his apparent unwillingness to sit for interviews as evidence of what they say was a man incapable of doing the demanding job of Commander-in-Chief of the United States. They insist that those around Biden covered up his physical and cognitive decline, taking decisions on his behalf and using a device that could reproduce his signature to allow them to continue to run the country in his name. "The Counsel to the President, in consultation with the Attorney General and the head of any other relevant executive department or agency... shall investigate... whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden's mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President," Wednesday's document says. The probe will also look at "the circumstances surrounding Biden's supposed execution of numerous executive actions during his final years in office (including) the policy documents for which the autopen was used (and) who directed that the President's signature be affixed." Biden, who was 81 at the time, dropped his bid for a second term after a disastrous debate performance against Trump renewed concerns about his health and mental acuity.
Asharq Al-Awsat
2 days ago
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Trump Orders Investigation into Biden's Actions as President, Ratcheting Up Targeting of Predecessor
President Donald Trump on Wednesday directed his administration to investigate Joe Biden's actions as president, alleging aides masked his predecessor's 'cognitive decline' and casting doubts on the legitimacy of his use of the autopen to sign pardons and other documents. The order marked a significant escalation in Trump's targeting of political adversaries and could lay the groundwork for arguments by the Republican that a range of Biden's actions as president were invalid. Biden responded in a statement Wednesday night: '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.' The Justice Department under Democratic and Republican administrations has recognized the use of an autopen to sign legislation and issue pardons for decades, Trump presented no evidence that Biden was unaware of the actions taken in his name, and the president's absolute pardon power is enshrined in the US Constitution. 'This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,' Trump wrote in a memo. 'The American public was purposefully shielded from discovering who wielded the executive power, all while Biden's signature was deployed across thousands of documents to effect radical policy shifts.' Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel David Warrington to handle the investigation. It's unclear how far Trump will push this effort, which would face certain legal challenges. But it reflects his fixation on Biden, who defeated him in 2020, an election that Trump never conceded and continues to falsely claim was rigged against him. Trump frequently suggests that Biden was wrong to use an autopen, a mechanical device that replicates a person's authentic signature. Although they've been used in the White House for decades, Trump claims that Biden's aides were usurping presidential authority. Biden issued pardons for his two brothers and his sister shortly before leaving office, hoping to shield them from potential prosecution under Trump, who had promised retribution during last year's campaign. Other pardon recipients included members of a congressional committee that investigated the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol. Trump often suggests that his political opponents should be investigated, and he has directed the Justice Department to look into people who have angered him over the years. They include Chris Krebs, a former cybersecurity official who disputed Trump's claims of a stolen election in 2020, and Miles Taylor, a former Department of Homeland Security official who wrote an anonymous op-ed sharply critical of the president in 2018. Meanwhile, House 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 Trump.
