Bruce Reed, the former White House deputy chief of staff for policy under President Joe Biden, is scheduled to appear before the House Oversight Committee on Tuesday. His testimony will be part of a transcribed interview in the ongoing Republican-led investigation into Biden’s alleged cognitive decline and whether efforts were made by the administration to conceal the president’s mental state from the public.
Reed, a longtime Biden aide, played a key role in shaping the administration’s domestic policy and was closely involved in debate preparations during Biden’s 2024 campaign. His appearance is considered significant because he helped prepare Biden for the presidential debate against Donald Trump. That debate performance was widely criticized and seen as a critical moment in Biden’s eventual decision to withdraw from the 2024 race. House Republicans are expected to press Reed for details about Biden’s condition leading up to that event and whether there were concerns behind the scenes that the public never saw.
The interview with Reed comes at a time when House Republicans are intensifying their investigation into Biden’s fitness for office. They are questioning former administration officials to determine whether there was a coordinated effort to withhold information about Biden’s mental health. Reed follows other former senior aides who have either participated voluntarily or required subpoenas. Former Biden advisers Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon both cooperated with the committee’s requests and provided testimony last week. Others, however, have been less cooperative.
In a troubling development for the administration, several key figures have invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when called to testify. These include White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor, senior adviser to the first lady Anthony Bernal, and deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini. Their refusal to answer questions has deepened Republican suspicions about a possible cover-up of Biden’s cognitive state while he was in office.
Anita Dunn, former senior adviser for communications, is also set to appear before the committee on Thursday, signaling that House Republicans are expanding their inquiry into multiple high-level members of Biden’s inner circle. More interviews are expected in the coming weeks as the investigation continues. The committee has so far received a mixed level of cooperation, with some officials agreeing to participate and others resisting, adding layers of complexity to what is shaping up to be a highly controversial and politically charged investigation.
