Biden Debate Performance Blamed on Stutter, Not Mental Decline, Adviser Tells Congress
In closed-door testimony before the House Oversight Committee, a senior White House official defended President Joe Biden’s controversial debate performance by attributing his struggles to a lifelong stutter rather than any signs of cognitive deterioration.
Bruce Reed, who served as deputy chief of staff for policy, reportedly told congressional investigators that concerns about Biden’s mental fitness are unfounded. According to a source familiar with the proceedings, Reed emphasized that the president’s verbal slips during the debate were a result of his known speech impediment, not mental decline.
Reed has been a longtime Biden confidant, previously serving as chief of staff during Biden’s vice presidency and playing central roles in both of his presidential campaigns. His comments came as part of a transcribed interview during an ongoing investigation into the president’s health and decision-making process.
The timing of the June debate — widely criticized by both parties — was not, according to Reed, a reaction to voter concerns about Biden’s age or stamina. Instead, it was scheduled early to “get ahead of early voting and the 2024 Olympics,” Reed testified.
Reed also confirmed that Biden’s team anticipated questions about a cognitive exam ahead of the ABC interview with George Stephanopoulos. According to the same source, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s personal physician, allegedly dismissed the value of cognitive tests, calling them “meaningless.”
Reed was not the only senior Biden official to testify. Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon, both key White House advisers, also spent hours in closed-door sessions last week. Ricchetti reportedly supported Reed’s explanation of the president’s performance, while Donilon said he had no knowledge of the controversial use of an autopen — an automated signature device — in signing official correspondence.
Meanwhile, other figures close to the president have declined to testify openly. Anthony Bernal, who previously served as chief of staff to First Lady Jill Biden, along with aide Annie Tomasini and Dr. O’Connor, all invoked their Fifth Amendment rights during committee questioning, according to sources.
The Oversight Committee continues to examine whether White House staff have been forthright with the American public about the president’s health and whether internal protocols are in place to ensure transparency at the highest levels of government.
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