A former White House insider has provided testimony in a high-stakes congressional inquiry into a past president’s capabilities.
Fox News reported that Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre recently spoke to House Oversight Committee investigators about former President Joe Biden’s mental state, asserting she saw no decline in his competency over the years while noting a shift in his oratory skills, as part of a broader investigation into potential concealment of his health status and the use of automated signatures for official actions.
Jean-Pierre underwent a nearly five-hour, private interview just off Capitol Hill, avoiding media interactions before and after. Her silence outside the session left the public reliant on insider accounts for details of her statements.
A source with knowledge of the discussion revealed to Fox News Digital that Jean-Pierre maintained she observed no drop in Biden’s competence from 2009 to 2025. However, she did admit his public speaking had altered since their initial acquaintance, though she never inquired about the reasons behind this transformation.
Having started as White House Press Secretary in 2022 after succeeding Jen Psaki, Jean-Pierre held the role until Biden’s term concluded in January. Her tenure positioned her as a prominent defender of the administration, especially following Biden’s debated performance against then-candidate Donald Trump in June 2024.
During that widely discussed event, she was told by top aides that Biden was battling a cold. In early July, she publicly reassured reporters during a briefing that the former president remained exceptionally astute.
Jean-Pierre explained to investigators that her press briefing notes were compiled by multiple advisors. Yet, content pertaining to Biden’s well-being and cognitive sharpness was strictly overseen by senior personnel.
She highlighted a specific narrative about fabricated online clips, suggesting they distorted Biden’s condition to deceive viewers. Jean-Pierre noted this idea appeared in her briefing materials, though she was unaware of its originator.
Additionally, she mentioned never having discussed personal worries about Biden’s health with anyone within the White House. This point underscores her stance during the investigation into potential concealment by administration officials.
House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer, R-Ky., indicated earlier this week that the probe into Biden’s use of an automated pen for signing documents and issuing clemencies is nearing its end. The focus remains on whether senior staff obscured Biden’s true physical and mental condition, and if key decisions were made without his complete knowledge.
Comer expressed significant concerns about the legitimacy of such automated approvals, as shared in his remarks to the press. Here is his detailed perspective on the matter:
I don't think anyone's going to argue that the process that was used for these autopens is the ideal process. And what we've seen with the emails that have surfaced in the last week — even the Merrick Garland Department of Justice was very concerned about how this administration was using the autopen. When people in the Department of Justice email people who they believe were the ones making the decisions on the autopen and asked the question via email from the Department of Justice, ‘Does the president even know who they just pardoned?’ I mean, that's very concerning.
The testimony of former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre before the House Oversight Committee sheds light on the ongoing scrutiny of former President Joe Biden’s mental and physical capacity during his term ending in January, with her asserting no observed decline from 2009 to 2025 while noting a shift in his public delivery, her defense post the June 2024 debate citing a cold and affirming his sharpness in early July, the exclusive handling of health-related briefing content by senior staff, her departure from the Democratic Party announced alongside her forthcoming book, and the broader probe led by Chair James Comer into automated signatures for executive orders and pardons, all while Fox News Digital awaits responses from Jean-Pierre’s legal team and Biden’s office.
