Jean-Pierre Faces House Panel’s Scrutiny on Biden Incapacity, Autopen

After defending former President Joe Biden’s mental fitness for more than two years, former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre went before a House committee to answer questions Friday morning. 

The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee is investigating the use of Biden’s White House autopen, and whether Biden was aware of presidential actions staff took on his behalf, such as executive orders and clemencies. 

House Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., noted that Jean-Pierre has a forthcoming book, as does former Vice President Kamala Harris. Initial published excerpts of Harris’ book showed her to be critical of the Biden White House.

“One reason we delayed Jean-Pierre is, we knew she had a book coming out. Kamala Harris had a book coming out. The books are going to tell the story, I think, of what we’ve been hearing in the depositions,” Comer told The Daily Signal. “It’s counter to what many people have been reporting over the last year or so.”

Though Jean-Pierre was White House press secretary from May 2022 to the end of Biden’s single term in office in January, she ignored reporters’ questions as she went into the Thomas P. O’Neill House Office Building on Friday morning. 

As chief White House spokeswoman, she repeatedly defended Biden’s mental acuity, claiming she couldn’t keep up with him and that videos critical of Biden were “cheap fakes.”

Jean-Pierre was not under oath, but lying to Congress is a crime under federal statute 18 U.S.C. Section 1001.

Jean-Pierre is the latest of more than a dozen senior Biden White House staffers who sat for transcribed interviews with the House Oversight Committee. Biden’s second chief of staff, Jeff Zients, will go before the committee on Sept. 18. 

The committee had transcribed interviews with more than a dozen former White House officials in Biden’s inner circle about his mental fitness for office. Three others had to be subpoenaed and invoked their Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination. Most notable of those was Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the Biden White House physician. Anthony Bernal, former senior adviser to first lady Jill Biden, also pleaded the Fifth, as did Annie Tomasini, former deputy director of Oval Office operations. 

“What’s at stake are all of the legal documents that were signed by the autopen, especially the last nine months, which by all accounts, President Biden was checked out of office,” Comer told The Daily Signal. 

The Kentucky Republican talked about the excerpt from Harris’ book, “107 Days,” published in The Atlantic about her abbreviated presidential campaign in 2024 that she lost to Donald Trump. Harris called Biden’s decision to run for reelection reckless and criticized Biden White House officials.

“What you were seeing from Kamala yesterday, I thought, was an admission of a huge lack of respect for Joe Biden when she said, ‘We should have never let Joe and [then-first lady Jill Biden] make that decision,’” Comer said. “That’s a pretty bold admission of lack of respect. I think that’s the kind of trend we are seeing in terms of excessive use of the autopen.” 

The post Jean-Pierre Faces House Panel’s Scrutiny on Biden Incapacity, Autopen appeared first on The Daily Signal.