Former White House chief of staff Jeff Zients testified behind closed doorways at size about former President Joe Biden’s growing old all through the course of his time period, together with how he pushed Biden’s physician to conduct a full medical workup, in keeping with an individual aware of the transcribed interview.
Zients informed House Oversight Committee investigators on Thursday that Biden’s decision-making slowed throughout the course of the administration and that the previous president’s problem remembering dates and names worsened over time, the individual informed NCS.
The interview was half of the Republican-led panel’s ongoing investigation into Biden’s mental decline, the place investigators have spoken to a quantity of Biden’s closest former aides.
After Biden’s disastrous debate performance final 12 months, Zients shared that he really useful Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, give a full medical workup, together with a cognitive examination, and O’Connor mentioned he would take the suggestion underneath advisement, the person shared.
Zients declined to remark to NCS on the testimony.
O’Connor declined to reply questions throughout his deposition in entrance of the committee in July.
Ahead of the controversy, Zients, in keeping with the individual aware of his testimony, mentioned Biden had a chilly however had by no means noticed him act the best way he did on stage, together with “mental freezes.”
Following the controversy, Zients testified he and different Biden advisors believed that Biden ought to exit the race, in keeping with the individual acquainted.
Former first woman Jill Biden spoke with Zients about making certain the then president received extra relaxation and was not overscheduled, the individual mentioned of Zients’ testimony.
Zients additionally shared that he mentioned Biden’s age points with different former aides whom the House Oversight Committee has interviewed, together with Annie Tomasini and Anthony Bernal, who each pled the fifth Amendment in their separate interviews, the individual shared.
A separate supply informed NCS that Zients made clear in his testimony that he noticed his job as making certain that Biden met with a spread of advisers to totally contemplate points in order that he might make one of the best selections, however in the end Biden made the ultimate selections alone.
The second supply informed NCS that Zients additionally articulated that he had full confidence in Biden’s potential to function president.
NCS’s Jake Tapper contributed to this report.