Bruce Reed, former President Joe Biden‘s deputy chief of staff for policy, dismissed concerns about Biden’s mental acuity during his testimony to the House Oversight Committee for its investigation into the former president’s inner circle and his use of an autopen.
During the interview, Reed blamed Biden’s poor debate performance with President Donald Trump last June on the former president’s stutter, according to a source familiar. Reed also said the decision to hold the debate early had nothing to do with concerns about Biden’s age and was instead a tactic to “get ahead of early voting and the Olympics.”
Reed, who served Biden for the entirety of his term, entered a House office building at 9:56 a.m. and did not take any questions from reporters. Before serving in the Biden administration, Reed worked in the Clinton and Obama administrations and Biden’s vice presidential office. He also worked as former Vice President Al Gore‘s speechwriter when he was in the Senate.
The former aide left his interview at 3:51 p.m. without speaking to the press.
BIDEN AUTOPEN USE IN DC WAS MORE WIDESPREAD THAN PREVIOUSLY KNOWN
The former chief also said during the interview that, in preparation for the debate, Biden’s communications team anticipated the issue of a cognitive test would likely be raised. However, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician, dismissed cognitive tests as “meaningless,” per the source.
THE LONG HISTORY AND CONTROVERSY OF PRESIDENTIAL AUTOPEN USE
Reed is the first witness to appear this week. Two former Biden aides and his physician pleaded the Fifth when they appeared for depositions in recent weeks after being subpoenaed. Five former aides, including Neera Tanden, Ashley Williams, Ron Klain, Steve Ricchetti, and Mike Donilon, have participated in the transcribed interviews, which have not yet been made public.
The interviews are slated to be made public at the end of the investigation, according to House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY). Footage of those who invoked their Fifth Amendment rights was released the evening after the interviews concluded.
The committee has continued to expand its investigation over the last few months after the release of Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book, Original Sin. Comer has scrutinized Biden’s use of an autopen for pardons and executive orders. The book contains claims that Klain spoke with other staff members about whether Biden should run again, but the conversations did not go anywhere.
STEVE RICCHETTI, BIDEN ‘POLITBURO’ MEMBER, APPEARS FOR HOUSE OVERSIGHT AUTOPEN INTERVIEW
Trump waived executive privilege last month for all former aides in the investigation. Executive privilege allows the witness to withhold information from Congress to protect the integrity of the executive branch.
Transcribed interviews are typically conducted over several hours by the majority and minority committee staff. The currently scheduled interviews will take place through September.
