Washington, D.C. — A new report from the House Oversight Committee has raised serious questions about former President Joe Biden’s capacity to carry out his official duties, alleging that senior advisers “meticulously stage-managed” the president’s daily activities and public appearances as he experienced physical and cognitive decline.
The 91-page report, based on interviews with more than a dozen current and former White House aides, claims that “not all” of Biden’s executive actions can be considered his own. It details how staff members adjusted nearly every aspect of his schedule — from the number of steps he could climb to the time he needed to read briefing materials — in an effort to manage his public image.
“These steps ranged from addressing President Biden’s makeup, clothing, schedule, the number of steps President Biden could walk or climb, the amount of time President Biden needed to read and to spend with his family,” the report states, adding that aides relied heavily on teleprompters “even at small, intimate events.”
One of the report’s most contentious findings involves the use of an autopen — a mechanical device that reproduces a person’s signature — to authorize dozens of official documents, including presidential pardons. Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) argued that any executive actions signed in this way, without proof of Biden’s direct consent, should be considered invalid.
Biden himself acknowledged in a 2024 interview with The New York Times that an autopen was used to sign 25 pardons and commutations late in his term, while his son Hunter Biden’s own pardon was signed by hand.
Former White House chief of staff Jeff Zients told the committee he did not know who operated the autopen during that period. “There were good processes in place,” Zients said, while admitting that “verbal authorizations of the president’s decision would occur on occasion.”
The report also points to what it describes as a “cover-up” of Biden’s medical condition, naming several top aides who invoked the Fifth Amendment rather than testify, including Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini, White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor, and First Lady Jill Biden’s chief of staff Anthony Bernal.
When asked whether he was ever told to mislead the public about Biden’s health, Dr. O’Connor declined to answer, citing his professional confidentiality obligations. The report accuses him of providing “grossly misleading medical assessments” under political pressure.
Biden has repeatedly denied the allegations, saying in June:
“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
The Oversight Committee has referred its findings to Attorney General Pam Bondi, urging a full Justice Department investigation into the president’s executive actions, his clemency decisions, and potential misconduct by aides allegedly involved in concealing his condition.
While Republicans argue that autopen-signed orders should be void, legal experts note that previous Justice Department opinions have recognized the president’s power to delegate the use of an autopen for official purposes — provided the authorization originates with the president himself.
Comer said the findings would “go down as one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history,” suggesting that “the Biden Autopen Presidency” represented a fundamental breakdown of presidential accountability.
The report also revisits concerns about Biden’s mental acuity, especially after his widely criticized June 2024 debate performance against former President Donald Trump. According to testimony from senior advisers, including Anita Dunn and Jeff Zients, aides debated whether Biden should take a cognitive test to ease public concern, but ultimately decided against it.
“[Dr. O’Connor] had not done [a cognitive exam], and there had been some coverage around that,” Zients told the committee, noting that advisers were divided on whether such testing would help or hurt politically.
The report further notes that Biden’s neurological evaluations during his annual physicals were never released to the public, and he did not undergo any formal cognitive assessments.
A Biden spokesperson dismissed the report’s claims, stating:
“This investigation into baseless claims has confirmed what has been clear from the start: President Biden made the decisions of his presidency. There was no conspiracy, no cover-up, and no wrongdoing.”
Attorneys for the officials who declined to testify cited ongoing Justice Department investigations and invoked their clients’ constitutional rights.
Despite the denials, the Oversight Committee maintains that its findings expose serious flaws in presidential transparency and the chain of command inside the Biden White House.
