Latest news with #cognitive decline
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Longtime Biden aide testifies in GOP probe that former president aged on job but remained ‘fully engaged'
One of Joe Biden's former top communications advisers told the House Oversight Committee that she watched the former president age on the job but that he was always in command. Anita Dunn, the former senior adviser to the president for communications, is the latest former Biden aide to voluntarily testify before the Republican-led panel in its probe of the former president's cognitive decline and possible efforts to conceal it from the public. 'While I observed that President Biden aged physically during his time in office, which is something that happens to every president, he remained throughout my interactions with him fully engaged and clear in his directions and supervision,' Dunn said in her opening statement, obtained by CNN. To address an ongoing allegation that Biden did not make his own decisions, Dunn added: 'I did not observe White House staff making key decisions or exercising the powers of the presidency without President Biden's knowledge or consent.' In the closed-door interview, Dunn discussed the decision to not give the former president a cognitive test, two sources familiar with the testimony told CNN. One source familiar with the interview said Dunn testified that Biden's inner circle came to a consensus he should not take a cognitive test, concluding it would offer no political benefit. A source close to Dunn added that even though the group came to that conclusion, Dunn stated in the interview that they all felt he would pass one. Dunn also discussed the decision to not have Biden participate in an interview around the Super Bowl last year because of the focus at the time around the former president's handling of classified records, the sources added. The source familiar with the interview said Dunn claimed the decision was made because of information in former special counsel Robert Hur's report, which led to no charges against Biden but described him as 'well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' The source close to Dunn pushed back on that characterization and said Dunn articulated the decision was made for Biden to not participate in a Super Bowl interview before the Hur report was released, and said the decision to not do so was because the then-president's inner circle thought the main media coverage would be about what Biden did with classified records and not about his policy decisions. Dunn had departed the administration in the wake of Biden's decision to step down from the 2024 Democratic ticket. Her testimony to the committee comes as the panel has interviewed top Biden White House aides in recent weeks as part of its intensifying investigation. A number of the former aides have sat for voluntary interviews. On Tuesday, the panel met with former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed, and former Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti and onetime senior adviser Mike Donilon sat for transcribed interviews last week. Several other Biden aides, however, have declined to cooperate with the committee's investigation and, after being subpoenaed to appear, invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini have all pleaded the Fifth. This story and headline have been updated with additional developments.
CNN
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Longtime Biden aide to testify in Republican probe of former president's mental decline
Joe BidenFacebookTweetLink Follow One of Joe Biden's former top communications advisers is set to appear for a scheduled interview Thursday in the House Oversight Committee's probe of the former president's cognitive decline and possible efforts to conceal it from the public. Anita Dunn, the former senior adviser to the president for communications, had departed the administration in the wake of Biden's decision to step down from the 2024 Democratic ticket. Her closed-door testimony to the committee comes as the Republican-led panel has interviewed top Biden White House aides in recent weeks as part of its intensifying investigation. A number of the former aides have sat for voluntary interviews. On Tuesday, the panel met with former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed, and former Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti and onetime senior adviser Mike Donilon sat for transcribed interviews last week. Several other Biden aides, however, have declined to cooperate with the committee's investigation and, after being subpoenaed to appear, invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini have all pleaded the Fifth.
CNN
4 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Longtime Biden aide to testify in Republican probe of former president's mental decline
Joe BidenFacebookTweetLink Follow One of Joe Biden's former top communications advisers is set to appear for a scheduled interview Thursday in the House Oversight Committee's probe of the former president's cognitive decline and possible efforts to conceal it from the public. Anita Dunn, the former senior adviser to the president for communications, had departed the administration in the wake of Biden's decision to step down from the 2024 Democratic ticket. Her closed-door testimony to the committee comes as the Republican-led panel has interviewed top Biden White House aides in recent weeks as part of its intensifying investigation. A number of the former aides have sat for voluntary interviews. On Tuesday, the panel met with former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed, and former Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti and onetime senior adviser Mike Donilon sat for transcribed interviews last week. Several other Biden aides, however, have declined to cooperate with the committee's investigation and, after being subpoenaed to appear, invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini have all pleaded the Fifth.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former senior Biden aide to appear before House committee in probe of former president's alleged mental decline
A longtime aide to Joe Biden is set to sit for a transcribed interview in House Republicans' probe of the former president's potential cognitive decline and possible efforts to conceal it from the public. Bruce Reed, the former White House deputy chief of staff for policy, is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee Tuesday as part of the Republican-led panel's investigation. He's just the latest Biden White House official to do so, and the first of two top former White House aides scheduled to appear this week. Former senior adviser to the president for communications Anita Dunn is set to appear Thursday, and the committee is expected to hold more voluntary interviews in the coming weeks. During the Biden administration, Reed oversaw much of the domestic policy agenda in the White House. He had also played a role in preparing Biden for his presidential debate against Donald Trump – a disastrous event for Biden that eventually led to his exit from the race altogether. The panel has conducted a number of interviews with former Biden officials in recent weeks, with varying degrees of cooperation. Former Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti and onetime senior adviser Mike Donilon voluntarily sat for transcribed interviews last week. Others have been subpoenaed to appear. Compelled to testify, White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini all invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
CNN
6 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Former senior Biden aide to appear before House committee in probe of former president's alleged mental decline
A longtime aide to Joe Biden is set to sit for a transcribed interview in House Republicans' probe of the former president's potential cognitive decline and possible efforts to conceal it from the public. Bruce Reed, the former White House deputy chief of staff for policy, is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee Tuesday as part of the Republican-led panel's investigation. He's just the latest Biden White House official to do so, and the first of two top former White House aides scheduled to appear this week. Former senior adviser to the president for communications Anita Dunn is set to appear Thursday, and the committee is expected to hold more voluntary interviews in the coming weeks. During the Biden administration, Reed oversaw much of the domestic policy agenda in the White House. He had also played a role in preparing Biden for his presidential debate against Donald Trump – a disastrous event for Biden that eventually led to his exit from the race altogether. The panel has conducted a number of interviews with former Biden officials in recent weeks, with varying degrees of cooperation. Former Biden counselor Steve Ricchetti and onetime senior adviser Mike Donilon voluntarily sat for transcribed interviews last week. Others have been subpoenaed to appear. Compelled to testify, White House physician Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former assistant to the president and senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal and former assistant to the president and deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini all invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
