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A civil war broke out amongst ex-President Joe Biden's Democratic staffers after he performed woefully at his June 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump, sparking an unseen battle. A congressional report released on Tuesday lays bare which top Biden officials wanted the octogenarian to cling to power and steamroll ahead with his flagging presidential run, and which loyalists expressed concern over the Democrat's condition and thought he should hang it up. The House Oversight Committee, led by Republicans, interviewed an array of former officials for the probe into Biden's health and autopen use. Some ex-officials provided detailed insights into the critical period when Biden was faltering in the polls following the debate and calls for him to step aside were mounting. However, three of Biden's closest former aides plead the Fifth Amendment, refusing to cooperate with the congressional investigators. Biden's former Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told the committee that he and a cohort of top aides, including former National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough all had expressed concerns over Biden staying in the race after his poor debate performance. 'Within a few days after the debate, [Biden] was aware of my view that I thought it was prudent to consider getting out of the race,' Zients told investigators. The former Biden chief of staff also asked Dr. Kevin O'Connor, former physician to the president, to do a 'full work-up' of medical exams after the debate. O'Connor, however, did not cooperate with the panel and repeatedly invoked his right to remain silent. He refused to answer whether he was instructed to lie about Biden's health and if the Democrat was fit to be president. The committee alleges that O'Connor did not perform a cognitive assessment on Biden. Despite the concern among half of Biden's camp following the debate, another large group of the Democrats' inner circle argued the performance was not as bad as the media made it seem. When pressed on Biden's cognitive decline being apparent during the 2024 debate, former Biden aide Steve Ricchetti told the committee: 'It isn't how the country perceived it. That just isn't true.' Another top Biden aide, Mike Donilon, also downplayed the disastrous debate, telling the panel Biden 'had pretty good answers. Stylistically, I was worried about his voice.' Donilon disagreed with the idea that the debate 'produced a substantial change in the horse race.' Donilon also testified that he had a major financial incentive for Biden staying in the race. He told the congressional committee that if Biden were re-elected, he would have made a $4 million bonus. In addition to the intra-White House drama, the report also skewers the former president for his autopen use. In total, President Biden issued 149 executive actions during his time as president. It's unclear, however, which actions, including pardons, were actually signed by Biden's hand. Comparatively, President Donald Trump has already signed 210 Executive orders in 2025, preferring to conduct those signings with a large media presence. Trump signed 220 executive orders during the entirety of his first term. The report concludes with the GOP lawmakers on the panel calling for a full review by the Department of Justice into each of Biden's executive actions to determine if it was done properly and with Biden's knowledge. Among the most controversial measures taken via autopen by the former president were the pardons of Dr. Anthony Fauci, California Democrat Sen. Adam Schiff and other members of Congress who served on the January 6th committee. Biden also pardoned members of his family - James B. Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden Owens, John T. Owens, and Francis W. Biden - on his last full day in office.
