In a bold move, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer subpoenaed Anthony Bernal—the former Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor to the First Lady—for a July 16 deposition.Comer aims to probe a potential cover-up of Joe Biden’s fitness to serve, citing Bernal’s refusal to appear voluntarily after the White House waived executive privilege.
Bernal, known around the West Wing as Jill Biden’s “work husband,” had initially agreed to a June 26 interview. Comer stressed Bernal’s unique insight: “Given your close connection with both former President Biden and former First Lady Jill Biden, the Committee sought to understand if you contributed to an effort to hide former President Biden’s fitness to serve from the American people.” The committee intends to explore whether legislative reform is warranted under Section 4 of the Twenty-Fifth Amendment.
So far, witnesses have varied in their cooperation. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s physician, will testify behind closed doors on July 9. Neera Tanden, who led Biden’s Domestic Policy Council, voluntarily testified for five hours and “vehemently denied that there was any cover-up of Biden’s mental state.” Other aides—Annie Tomasini and Ashley Williams—agreed to give voluntary testimony next month.
Comer emphasized accountability: “They must appear before the House Oversight Committee and provide truthful answers about President Biden’s cognitive state and who was calling the shots.” President Trump has directed his team to investigate the alleged concealment, calling it “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.” He added that aides “masked the 46th president’s cognitive decline.”
