NEWYou now have the option to listen to articles from Fox News!
According to a source familiar with the proceedings, former White House physician Kevin O’Connor had previously dismissed cognitive tests as “meaningless,” as revealed by ex-Biden administration aide Bruce Reed during his testimony to House investigators on Tuesday.
Reed, who previously served as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, became the ninth member of former President Joe Biden’s inner circle to be interviewed by House Oversight Committee lawyers.
A source familiar with the interview disclosed to Fox News Digital that Reed attributed Biden’s poor performance in the 2024 debate against then-candidate Donald Trump to the former president’s stutter, a condition that has been well-documented and acknowledged by Biden himself.
Despite the known stutter, Biden’s performance on stage with Trump raised concerns among Democrats and media commentators regarding his advanced age, leading to calls for him to withdraw from the race, which he eventually did in July 2024.
During Reed’s interview, he expressed his belief that there should not have been any concerns about Biden’s mental faculties and mentioned that Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, had dismissed cognitive tests as meaningless.
O’Connor was one of the first former White House officials to be questioned by House investigators, but he chose to invoke the Fifth Amendment and only disclosed his name in the interview due to concerns about doctor-patient confidentiality.
Reed defended the Biden 2024 campaign’s decision to hold the debate earlier than usual as a strategic move to get ahead of early voting and the Olympics, emphasizing that it was unrelated to concerns about Biden’s age.
Excerpts from Reed’s opening statement to investigators highlighted his observations of Biden’s work ethic, approach to policy issues, and decision-making process during his presidency.
Chairman James Comer is leading an investigation into whether Biden’s senior aides attempted to conceal evidence of his mental decline, particularly in relation to clemency orders signed by autopen in the latter half of his presidency.
Despite the probe, Biden has maintained that he was behind every decision mentioned in The New York Times last month.
Reed’s counsel and O’Connor’s lawyers were contacted for comment but did not respond by press time.
