Trump White House clears path for ex-Biden aides to testify on his alleged decline
The Trump White House has made a significant move by waiving executive privilege for key former Biden administration aides who have been summoned by Republicans on the House Oversight Committee. This decision comes as Chair James Comer, R-Ky., investigates the alleged cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s mental decline.
Letters obtained by Fox News Digital reveal that the Trump administration will not allow the individuals of interest in Comer’s probe to use their past White House work as a legal shield. Deputy Counsel to the President Gary Lawkowski sent letters to former Biden Chief of Staff Ron Klain, former senior advisors Anita Dunn, Steve Ricchetti, Mike Donilon, Annie Tomasini, Bruce Reed and Ashley Williams, and Anthony Bernal, former advisor to former first lady Jill Biden.
The letters stated, “In light of the unique and extraordinary nature of the matters under investigation, President Trump has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the national interest, and therefore is not justified, with respect to particular subjects within the purview of the House Oversight Committee. Those subjects include your assessment of former President Biden’s fitness for the office of the President and your knowledge of who exercised executive powers during his administration.”
Both congressional Republicans and the White House are looking into whether these senior Biden aides played a role in concealing concerns about the former president’s mental capacity from the public and even from lower-level White House staff. It remains unclear if any of the mentioned former Biden aides planned to claim executive privilege in their communications with the committee.
The Biden administration previously waived executive privilege for records sought by the House select committee on the Jan. 6 Capitol attack in 2021 and rejected executive privilege claims made by Peter Navarro and Michael Flynn in that investigation. The latest development in Comer’s probe follows the first closed-door interview with one of Biden’s former aides, Neera Tanden.
Tanden testified on Capitol Hill for hours on Tuesday, and the Trump White House waived any claim to executive privilege for her deposition. Tanden denied any efforts by senior aides to conceal Biden’s mental state, stating, “I answered every question, was pleased to discuss my public service, and it was a thorough process, and I’m glad I answered everyone’s question.”
Bernal is scheduled to provide his testimony to Comer and investigators on Thursday. The investigation continues to unfold, shedding light on the inner workings of the Biden administration and the handling of concerns regarding the former president’s mental acuity. Elizabeth Elkind, a politics reporter for Fox News Digital, leads coverage of the House of Representatives and will continue to report on developments in the ongoing probe. Follow her on Twitter at @liz_elkind for the latest updates.
