President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Wednesday evening directing a probe into “who ran” the U.S. during former President Joe Biden’s time in office.
Questions regarding Biden’s mental state have rapidly developed among Democrats since the release of Jake Tapper’s and Alex Thompson’s “Original Sin,” detailing the former president’s mental decline while in office. In the White House’s press release, Trump said the memorandum will direct the investigation into “whether certain individuals conspired to deceive the public about Biden’s mental state and unconstitutionally exercise the authorities and responsibilities of the President.”
“The Memorandum also mandates an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Biden’s purported execution of the numerous executive actions during his final years in office, examining policy documents signed with an autopen, who authorized its use, and the validity of the resulting Presidential policy decisions,” the statement added.
Prior to the 2020 presidential election, Republicans began to sound off over concerns about Biden and his mental state. While some Democrats have still supported Biden following the book’s allegations, others have begun to question his time in the White House and the issues he oversaw. (RELATED: Meet The Biden Inner Circle House Republicans Want To Drag In For Testimony)
Former President Joe Biden arrives at Saint Joseph on the Brandywine Catholic Church. (Photo by ALEX WROBLEWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
According to the White House’s statement, Biden’s use of the “autopen raises serious concerns about the legitimacy of his actions,” citing reports that indicate the former president suffered from “serious cognitive decline.”
“Despite Biden’s cognitive deficiencies, the White House issued over 1,200 Presidential documents, appointed 235 judges to the Federal bench, and issued more pardons and commutations than any Administration in U.S. history,” the statement reads. “The authority to take these executive actions is constitutionally reserved for the President, yet the Biden White House used an autopen to execute the vast majority of Biden’s executive actions, particularly during the second half of his Presidency.”
In his final month in office, Biden issued a wave of pardons, notably commuting the sentences of 37 out of the 40 “most vile and monstrous criminals on Federal death row,” the White House said.
Tapper’s and Thompson’s new book, based on interviews with multiple sources, reveals Biden’s decline had become so alarming among aides that some considered placing him in a wheelchair following the 2020 election.
Though Democrats initially rallied behind Biden as their 2024 nominee, lawmakers and pundits quickly reversed course after his disastrous June debate against Trump, where the now-former president froze mid-sentence and struggled to complete his arguments. Questions about whether Biden could last another term spread immediately.
As calls from lawmakers mounted, Democrat donors also paused millions in contributions until Biden exited the race. By July 21, Biden announced his withdrawal and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris as the party’s next nominee.
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