Former President Joe Biden’s longtime physician may answer questions under oath from lawmakers who suspect he aided in a cover-up of the president’s declining health. Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer, the chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, sent letters on Thursday, May 22, to Biden’s former doctor and senior staffers, asking them to speak on the record about the president’s cognitive health during his time in office.
Comer alleged the White House may have hidden signs of mental decline during Biden’s final months.
“The cover-up of President Biden’s obvious mental decline is a historic scandal,” Comer said in a statement. “The American people deserve to know when this decline began, how far it progressed and who was making critical decisions on his behalf.”
Comer requested interviews with several former White House aides, including Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal and Ashley Williams. He is also seeking testimony from Dr. Kevin O’Connor, who served as Biden’s official physician and Neera Tanden, former director of the Domestic Policy Council.
Comer also questioned Biden’s alleged use of an autopen, a device that replicates signatures, to issue pardons for family members and authorize other executive actions near the end of his presidency.
He claimed the White House blocked the president’s doctor and others from testifying before Congress in 2024, which prevented lawmakers from getting a complete picture of Biden’s health.
Comer warned that if those contacted do not agree to interview voluntarily, the committee is prepared to escalate its efforts.
As Biden faces questions over his mental fitness, he also recently received a diagnosis of prostate cancer that has metastasized to his bones.
Biden denied mental fitness decline
The Biden White House, Democratic officials and Biden’s former aides strongly denied any suggestion that the president experienced serious cognitive decline while in office. During Biden’s time in office and around the time there was concern regarding his health, O’Connor released a letter in 2024.
It outlined how Dr. Kevin Cannard, a neurologist, visited the White House to examine Biden to affirm the president’s mental health capacity. O’Connor also brought up another letter from Feb. 28, 2024, that said, “An extremely detailed neurologic exam was again reassuring in that there were no findings which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder, such as stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s or ascending lateral sclerosis, nor are there any signs of cervical myelopathy.”
The letter said Biden’s most recent medical exam again confirmed a diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy in both feet. However, no motor weakness or tremors were detected at rest or during activity. The report noted that Biden maintained excellent fine motor dexterity.
Allegations surface after presidency ends
A book released on Tuesday, May 20, by CNN’s Jake Tapper claimed that Biden’s aides tried to conceal his cognitive decline and supported his bid for a second term. Comer referenced the book as an example of why he’s launching an investigation.
A press release for Tapper’s book, “Original Sin,” says, “Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.” Leaked audio published by Axios detailed an interview with special counsel Robert Hur and Biden in 2023. Biden officials refused to release the audio recordings, but Axios obtained a copy. The recordings have not been verified as authentic, but Biden can be heard having difficulty remembering dates and other information.
