GOP Subpoenas White House Aides to Discuss Biden's Cognitive State, Sparking Political Clash

GOP-Led House Oversight Committee Issues Subpoenas for Three White House Aides

The GOP-led House Oversight Committee has issued subpoenas for three White House aides, requesting depositions to discuss President Joe Biden's cognitive state. The subpoenas are for first lady Jill Biden's senior adviser Anthony Bernal, White House deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, and White House senior adviser Ashley Williams.

The letters accompanying the subpoenas allege that the aides have "firsthand knowledge of the extent to which President Biden is personally carrying out the duties of his office and whether he is capable of doing so." The committee seeks this information to explore whether Congress should revisit potential legislation to address the oversight of presidents' fitness to serve.

Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., the committee chair, said the panel is concerned these aides "may be running interference on behalf of the President and perhaps doing some of the President's job for him." He added that "President Biden is clearly unfit for office, yet his staff are trying to hide the truth from the American people."

White House spokesperson Ian Sams criticized Comer and called the subpoenas a "baseless political stunt intended for him to get media attention instead of engage in legitimate oversight." He said Comer's "partisan attacks on the President have been discredited, and now he continues to debase the House by weaponizing subpoenas to get headlines instead of seeking information through the proper constitutional process."

The three aides were previously asked to appear before the committee as part of the Biden classified documents investigation, but the committee says the White House blocked their appearances. The committee asked that the aides respond by July 17 to discuss a deposition.

The subpoenas come days after Comer requested that Biden's physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, appear for a transcribed interview about his health. Sams previously criticized that request, saying, "Here they go again, pushing their crazy, discredited conspiracy theories in order to score another hit on Bartiromo," referring to Fox News anchor Maria Bartiromo.

Biden's debate performance last month prompted widespread concern among Democrats about his re-election prospects over renewed concerns about his age and fitness for office. Nearly a dozen Democratic members of Congress have since called for him to drop out of the race, and NBC News has reported that many top Democrats are privately concerned about his ability to take on former President Donald Trump.

Biden has continued to insist that he is staying in the race, arguing that he is the best person to defeat Trump in November.