Bruce Reed, a top White House advisor, told House investigators that former President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance was due to his stutter — not cognitive decline, a source familiar told the Daily Caller.
Reed, who served as deputy chief of staff for policy, made the claim during a transcribed interview with the House Oversight Committee, the source said. Asked whether voters had legitimate concerns about Biden’s mental fitness, Reed reportedly said there was no reason to doubt the former president’s cognitive health. (RELATED: Joe Biden’s Doctor Is Hiding Something)
TOPSHOT – US President Joe Biden looks on as he participates in the first presidential debate of the 2024 elections with former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump at CNN’s studios in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 27, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)
Reed told lawmakers the early debate was a calculated move to get ahead of early voting and the 2024 Olympics — not a response to concerns about Biden’s age, the source said.
He also said Biden’s team expected questions about a cognitive test during prep for the former president’s interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos, and claimed Dr. Kevin O’Connor dismissed such tests as “meaningless.”
Reed, a longtime Biden ally, previously served as chief of staff during the vice presidency and held senior roles in both of Biden’s presidential campaigns. He also worked as speechwriter for then-Sen. Al Gore and held top policy roles in the Clinton and Obama administrations. (RELATED: Inner Circle Of Advisors At Center Of Biden Coverup Will Testify Before House Oversight Republicans)
Two other close Biden aides — Steve Ricchetti and Mike Donilon — also sat for hours of closed-door testimony last week. Ricchetti reportedly echoed Reed’s defense, while Donilon claimed he wasn’t aware of the autopen or how it was used.
Jill Biden’s former chief of staff Anthony Bernal, presidential aide Annie Tomasini and O’Connor all invoked the Fifth Amendment during recent committee proceedings, the source said.
