House Committee Subpoenas Biden Aides Over his Health

Facts

  • On Wednesday, the Republican-led US House Oversight Committee subpoenaed three senior White House aides to testify about Democratic Pres. Joe Biden's health.1
  • In a press release, the committee announced subpoenas for Ashley Williams, special assistant to the president; Anthony Bernal, senior advisor to First Lady Dr. Jill Biden; and Annie Tomasini, deputy chief of staff.2
  • In the release, Committee chair Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) accused the White House of shielding the three aides from previously testifying about the president's handling of classified documents and now 'seeking to cover up' the president's alleged 'declining cognitive state.'2
  • The committee requested that the aides reply to the subpoenas by July 17 and then sit for depositions about 81-year-old Biden's health in late July.3
  • This comes as Biden is facing increased pressure to step aside from being the Democratic presidential nominee over questions about his mental and neurological health stemming from his performance in a debate last month against former Pres. Donald Trump.4

Sources: 1Reuters.com, 2Oversight, 3Axios.com and 4Newsweek.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by Newsmax. In the face of terrifying reports about the president's deteriorating condition, the House has no choice but to request to hear from these aides, under oath, to find out who's calling the shots in the White House. It's unfortunate that it's come to this, but the Biden administration has broken every promise it made about transparency, and the American people deserve to know who's making the country's crucial decisions.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by NBC. House Republicans continue to desperately attack the president because of their fears he'll defeat Trump this November. Their evidence-free attempt to impeach Biden fell through, so now they want to turn his health into a partisan issue. Weaponizing subpoenas to gain publicity is no way to govern.

Predictions