James Comer fires first shots as possibility of probe into Biden's cognitive decline increases
Washington D.C.: House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) announced Friday the formation of a new investigative panel to examine what he calls the "cover-up of President Biden’s mental decline".
Comer issued three subpoenas to Biden administration staffers, accusing them of obstructing congressional oversight. He also demanded the full audio of Special Counsel Robert Hur’s interview with Biden—portions of which were leaked to Axios this week—and requested testimony from former White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor, though no subpoena has been issued yet.
"This is one of the greatest scandals of our generation," Comer said, alleging a coordinated effort to conceal Biden’s fitness for office. He accused the White House of stonewalling prior investigations and vowed to "expose the truth" now that Biden has left office.
Comer suggested Biden may have lacked the mental capacity to authorize key presidential actions, declaring, "The American people are done being lied to."
The 2023 interview was part of Hur’s investigation into Biden’s handling of classified documents found at his home and former office after his vice presidency. While Hur ultimately declined to recommend criminal charges, his report described Biden as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory", a characterization that drew sharp criticism from Biden and his allies.
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The newly-released audio, obtained by Axios, reveal Biden struggling to recall key details, including the year his son Beau died, the date he left office as vice president, and when Donald Trump was elected president. There are long pauses, moments of slurred speech, and instances where Biden appears confused or drifts off-topic.
Transcripts of the interview had been released in 2024, but the audio’s tone and cadence have intensified concerns about Biden’s cognitive abilities, especially as he was running for re-election at age 81. The White House had previously resisted releasing the audio, citing privacy and political concerns.
Hur’s decision not to prosecute was partly based on the belief that a jury would view Biden as a sympathetic figure, making conviction unlikely.
Vice President Kamala Harris and other prominent Democrats publicly defended Biden, calling Hur’s remarks “gratuitous, inaccurate, and inappropriate” and suggesting the report was intended to damage Biden’s reputation and campaign.
The Biden White House and his legal team demanded that Hur’s team revise the report, labeling the memory references as “inflammatory". Biden’s personal attorney called the report a “shabby piece of work” filled with “totally inappropriate and pejorative comments”.
Some Democrats compared Hur’s actions to James Comey’s 2016 comments about Hillary Clinton, warning that such public statements could have serious political consequences.
GOP leaders and conservative commentators argued that the White House tried to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline and accused Democrats of misleading the public. They highlighted the contrast between Biden’s treatment and the prosecution of Donald Trump over classified documents.