White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said she calls on former aides to former President Biden on occasion, following what she described as a very positive experience working with them on the presidential transition.
In an interview with the New York Post’s Miranda Devine, Wiles praised Biden’s staff when asked about her view on the former presidency.
“He was a low energy president and I think that’s actually harder on the staff than what I have. They were pushing, I’m pulling. They could not have been more kind to me as we were transitioning. Really wonderful, wonderful at telling us what to expect, what resources were at our fingertips. They were terrific,” Wiles said.
“The presidency, not so much. But the individuals that I worked with and I knew, were spectacular,” she continued. “And I actually call on them from time to time now.”
Wiles added, “Not what I expected, but it was welcomed.”
President Trump, meanwhile, ordered a probe last month into presidential actions Biden signed using the “autopen,” suggesting that top aides of the former president used the pen and acted without his knowledge.
In the interview, Devine asked if Wiles was able to get clues into what Biden was doing during the day, and she recalled a positive meeting in November, following President Trump’s election.
“I didn’t. We had one meeting right after the election, the president and I came and President Biden and his chief, Jeff Zients, had a sit-down in the oval and he was — it was a great meeting,” she said. “And I kept thinking, these two have been just saying horrific things about each other and they’re like old golfing buddies here now. It was very pleasant and very professional.”
“And Jeff, I just thank him for all he did to get me ready for this,” she added. “But I don’t know, I don’t have any insight into the presidency per se. It’s kind of hard for me to believe, the whole thing is hard for me — sitting here now, looking at that, I don’t know how that happened.”
Devine said that Biden had good moments, suggesting he was able to hide his cognitive decline at times.
Wiles replied, “He did and he had good people. Maybe we’re not philosophically aligned but I think they’re good people.”
Wiles in January also praised Zients for his help during the transition, saying at the time that he was very helpful and professional.
Zients is one of several Biden aides that House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chair James Comer (R-Ky.) has requested interviews with as part of his investigation into the former president’s mental state.
Comer sent Zients, among others, a letter last month, saying information was needed “as part of our aggressive investigation into the cover-up of [Biden’s] cognitive decline.”
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