Biden's former advisor defends previous president's health during House panel testimonies
In a significant development, Joe Biden's former top aide, Andrew Bates, appeared before the House Oversight Committee for a closed-door interview on Friday. The Republican-led panel is investigating the former president's cognitive decline and potential efforts to conceal any cognitive decline from the public.
Bates, who served as a deputy assistant to the president and senior deputy press secretary for Biden, defended the former president in his opening statement. He spoke at length about Biden's interactions with various individuals, including more than 20 people to discuss his functioning in the White House. These discussions took place over the course of his presidency, with Bates interacting with Biden in person a little over once a month.
Several White House staffers and former officials, who testified before the House Oversight Committee in recent months, generally described Biden's cognitive state as competent. However, they acknowledged occasional lapses. It was universally understood in the White House that Biden was in charge, according to Bates.
The investigation is also focusing on potential efforts to conceal any cognitive decline from the public. Bates shared his agreement with Biden's decision to withdraw from the race after assessing polling data and the political damage from Biden's disastrous debate performance. Another source told CNN that Bates agreed with Biden's decision to drop out after he had time to process the president's decision and a turn in public polling during the final week of his candidacy.
In the closed-door interview, Bates expressed his belief that Biden could have won reelection. His testimony was given as part of the House Oversight Committee's investigation into the former president's health concerns. Bates' opening statement was obtained by CNN, but the details of the interview remain confidential.
The House Oversight Committee has been interviewing a number of top aides from the Biden White House in recent months as part of this investigation. Bates' testimony is a significant addition to the committee's findings, shedding light on the former president's functioning and decision-making processes during his time in office.
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