President Donald Trump has ordered a formal investigation into what he and his Republican allies allege was a coordinated effort to conceal former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline during his time in office. The move has deepened partisan tensions and reignited debate over Biden’s final years as president.
The presidential memorandum issued Wednesday directs the White House Counsel, in consultation with the Attorney General and other agencies, to investigate whether individuals within Biden’s administration used devices like the autopen, a tool that replicates signatures, to mask his deteriorating mental condition and unconstitutionally act on his behalf.
“In recent months, it has become increasingly apparent that former President Biden’s aides abused the power of presidential signatures… to conceal Biden’s cognitive decline,” the memo states, calling the alleged actions “one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history.”
The inquiry comes after months of Republican claims, bolstered by conservative media, that Biden was not fully in control during his presidency, pointing to limited public appearances and his avoidance of interviews. These concerns intensified following Biden’s widely criticized debate performance last year, which many believe hastened his withdrawal from the 2024 race.
Biden, now 82, has fiercely denied the accusations. In a statement shared with AFP, he said: “I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”
He dismissed the probe as a politically motivated distraction: “This is nothing more than a diversion by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation.”
The controversy has also reignited divisions within the Democratic Party. Biden’s former press secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, announced her departure from the party on Wednesday, calling the internal blame game a “betrayal” of the former president.
The investigation gains momentum as new revelations surface in a book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, which claims Biden’s inner circle deliberately shielded him from the public eye and even suggests he began forgetting key figures like actor and Democratic supporter George Clooney.
Speculation has also intensified following confirmation that Biden is battling an “aggressive” form of prostate cancer. Some conservative voices, without offering evidence, allege the diagnosis was known but hidden during his presidency.
The inquiry’s findings could have lasting political ramifications as Republicans attempt to frame Biden’s final years as a breach of public trust, and as Trump seeks to solidify his legacy with control over both the executive branch and the national narrative.
Written By Rodney Mbua
