WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 24: U.S. President Joe Biden concludes his address to the nation from the Oval Office of the White House on July 24, 2024 in Washington, DC. The president addressed reasons for abruptly ending his run for a second term after initially rejecting calls from some top Democrats to do so, and outlined what he hopes to accomplish in his remaining months in office. (Photo by Evan Vucci-Pool/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump has ordered an investigation into whether allies of former President Joe Biden downplayed the alleged decline in his mental capacity.
The order follows a separate investigation announced earlier this week by the Department of Justice that will probe whether Biden was “competent” enough to grant last-minute pardons and if Biden’s aides used autopen to take action without the former president’s knowledge.
In an official statement, Trump said the investigation will look into whether the former president’s aides were concealing his “serious cognitive decline” and trying to “deceive the public.”
“This conspiracy marks one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history,” wrote Trump in a memo to White House staff. “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.”
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The investigation will be led by White House counsel David Warrington with the support of Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Biden defended his mental state in response to Trump’s order.
“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,” said Biden. “Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false. This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are 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, along many other Republicans, have been openly critical of the 82-year old Biden’s mental capacity and have condemned his use of autopen.
The House Oversight and Accountability Committee will also investigate Biden’s use of autopen, requesting to interview several individuals close to the former president who may have signed official documents on his behalf without his knowledge. Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s former physician, will be subpoenaed to testify before the committee as well.
There is no law that prohibits the use of autopen. Many other presidents, including Trump himself, have used the device to sign official documents.
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