Ex-Biden aide dismisses Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate fallout in House grilling

Former President Joe Biden’s spokesperson, Andrew Bates, recently dismissed the criticism surrounding Biden’s disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in June 2024 during a five-hour closed-door interview with the House Oversight Committee. Bates, who served as White House senior deputy press secretary, defended Biden’s decision to drop out of the re-election race after reviewing polling data.

Despite concerns about Biden’s age, Bates attributed these worries to polling issues and dismissed them as the result of mainstream media and right-wing critics. He also revealed that he had infrequent interactions with Biden, meeting with him in person only about once a month for various reasons.

During the interview, Bates expressed his support for the controversial pardon granted to Hunter Biden towards the end of Biden’s term, emphasizing that Biden acted honorably. The House Oversight Committee is investigating whether Biden’s top allies covered up signs of mental decline and if executive actions were executed with Biden’s full awareness.

In his opening statement, Bates defended Biden’s fitness for office and criticized Trump’s actions as president. However, a House Oversight Committee spokesperson criticized Bates as “delusional” and accused him of leaking his opening statement to the media before presenting it in the room.

Former Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is scheduled to be interviewed next by the House Oversight Committee on September 12. The committee continues to investigate the actions of Biden’s administration and their handling of executive decisions.

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