Startling revelations from a former top White House insider have dropped a bombshell about President Joe Biden’s mental sharpness during his term.
Jeff Zients, once Biden’s chief of staff, testified to Congress on Thursday, painting a troubling picture of declining memory and decision-making skills in the former president, alongside calls for a cognitive exam after a widely criticized debate performance on June 27, 2024.
The New York Post reported that Zients spent six grueling hours before the House Oversight Committee, led by Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., detailing how Biden’s struggles became impossible to ignore over time.
Let’s rewind to that infamous June 27 debate, where Biden stumbled over words, mumbled in a raspy tone, and tossed out baffling lines like claiming his team “finally beat Medicare.”
Campaign staff and White House aides tried to brush it off as a mere “cold,” yet hours later, Biden was spotted at a Waffle House, looking anything but under the weather.
It’s no surprise then that Zients, deeply unsettled by the spectacle, urged White House physician Kevin O’Connor to conduct a full medical evaluation, including a cognitive test.
Zients didn’t stop at debate night critiques; he described “mental freezes” that aides witnessed firsthand, calling them unprecedented and alarming.
Even decision-making took a hit—meetings that once wrapped up in three sessions began stretching to four as Biden grappled with recalling names and dates.
Age-related challenges weren’t just whispers in the West Wing; they were a constant topic, with First Lady Jill Biden herself insisting her husband avoid being “over-scheduled” and return to the residence earlier.
Other heavy hitters like former communications adviser Anita Dunn and ex-national security adviser Jake Sullivan echoed Zients’ push for a cognitive assessment.
Cabinet members weren’t blind to the issue either—Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, VA Secretary Denis McDonough, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken all reportedly felt Biden lacked the stamina for another term.
Donors, too, raised eyebrows, with one pointing out how unsettling it was to see Biden rely on a teleprompter at a small, intimate fundraiser—hardly the image of a vigorous leader.
Yet, when pressed by the Oversight Committee, key figures like White House physician Kevin O’Connor and Jill Biden’s chief of staff, Anthony Bernal, clammed up, pleading the Fifth rather than addressing these serious concerns.
Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini also dodged questions, though she reportedly discussed with Zients limiting Biden’s walking distances and stair climbs—details that speak volumes about the administration’s quiet accommodations.
Meanwhile, former press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who recently parted ways with the Democratic Party, is gearing up to spill more in a tell-all book about what she calls a “broken” administration, leaving us wondering just how deep this rabbit hole goes.
A source close to Zients tried to soften the blow, insisting, “Jeff had full confidence in President Biden’s ability to serve.” But let’s be real—confidence sounds hollow when you’re begging for cognitive tests behind closed doors.
The same source added, “Biden valued input from a wide variety of advisers.” Valuing input is one thing; being able to process it effectively amid reported mental freezes is quite another.
