Autopen Investigation Reveals Biden’s Slow Decision-Making in Final Months

By Kaelan Deese | The Gazette

Former President Joe Biden’s ex-chief of staff Jeff Zients delivered the most revealing testimony to date in the House Oversight Committee’s investigation into the alleged misuse of the autopen and internal efforts to conceal the then-president’s cognitive decline, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Zients, who appeared for a closed-door transcribed interview on Thursday, confirmed for the first time that Biden’s “decision-making slowed” during the final stretch of his presidency. He said meetings that once required three sessions began to require a fourth, and acknowledged that Biden’s speech stumbles and memory lapses worsened with age — including during his time in office.

The testimony, described by a source briefed on the interview, contradicts repeated public claims made by the White House during the 2024 campaign. At the time, officials insisted Biden was “sharp,” “engaged,” and “fully capable” of performing his duties, even after widespread concern about his debate performance against then-candidate Donald Trump.

Zients also testified that he and then-first lady Jill Biden discussed adjusting the president’s schedule to allow more time for rest, family, and early returns to the residence.

He admitted speaking with former aides who later pleaded the Fifth during the Oversight probe — including Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor — about tailoring Biden’s appearances to reduce stress and avoid long walks or stairs.

He said Anita Dunn, Biden’s top adviser at the time, who admitted last month that the Robert Hur special counsel report prompted the ex-president to skip the Super Bowl pre-game interview, raised the possibility of a cognitive exam after the debate. Hur found that while there was evidence Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials,” criminal charges would likely not result in a conviction in part due to Biden’s “poor memory.”

Zients also testified that he recommended a full medical workup to Dr. O’Connor after Biden’s disastrous June 27 presidential debate, implying it should include cognitive testing. O’Connor responded that he would take the suggestion “under advisement.” On July 3, 2024, Zients was reportedly telling staffers the debate was just “one night…. We all know is that he is a great president.”

In the interview on Thursday, Zients maintained his belief that Biden’s poor debate performance was due to a cold and losing his train of thought — but also told the Oversight Committee that he had “never seen [Biden] like that before,” and that the performance made him believe the president should exit the race.

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