Hillary Clinton’s doubts about Joe Biden’s political staying power surfaced months before his 2024 campaign collapse, according to testimony from his former chief of staff. Ron Klain, grilled by the House Oversight Committee, revealed that both Clinton and Jake Sullivan flagged concerns about Biden’s viability, as Fox News reports. This bombshell exposes cracks in the Democratic facade, raising questions about what party insiders knew and when.
House Oversight Committee chair James Comer is probing whether Biden’s top aides hid signs of his mental decline. Klain, in a five-hour voluntary interview on Thursday, defended Biden’s mental sharpness to govern despite admitting some energy and memory lapses. The investigation seeks to uncover if Biden’s team obscured his fading capacities from the public.
Clinton and Sullivan approached Klain well before Biden abandoned his re-election bid in July 2024. Their concerns centered on Biden’s political effectiveness, though it’s unclear if mental acuity was the precise issue. Sullivan, a longtime aide to both Biden and Clinton, noted Biden’s performance dipped from 2022 to 2024.
Sullivan’s representative, Adrienne Watson, denied he discussed Biden’s re-election prospects with Klain before a critical debate. “Jake did not have a conversation with Ron about Joe Biden running for president before the debate,” Watson claimed. Her denial sounds like damage control, conveniently sidestepping the broader unease Sullivan reportedly expressed.
Watson later doubled down, insisting the source recounting Klain’s testimony was mistaken. “We don’t think this is what Ron said. Your sources are wrong,” she told reporters. This knee-jerk dismissal only fuels suspicion that Democratic insiders were scrambling to manage a brewing crisis.
Klain admitted Biden’s energy waned and his memory faltered, often mixing up names and nouns. He conceded that this problem had worsened over time, yet insisted that Biden remained fit to lead. Such contradictions raise the question: why defend a leader whose decline was evident to his team?
Klain’s five-hour session with the committee was staff-led, with brief appearances by Comer, Rep. Andy Biggs, and Rep. Ro Khanna. Both Biggs and Khanna called Klain “credible,” with Khanna noting he “answered every single question.” Their bipartisan nod suggests Klain’s account carries weight, despite Democratic spin.
“I think he is telling what he knows accurately,” Biggs told Fox News Digital. This rare cross-party agreement underscores the gravity of Klain’s revelations. It’s a stark contrast to the stonewalling from other Biden aides.
Three former aides -- Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and Kevin O’Connor -- pleaded the Fifth under subpoena. Their silence speaks volumes, hinting at a coordinated effort to shield uncomfortable truths. Klain, Ashley Williams, and Neera Tanden, however, opted for voluntary interviews, perhaps sensing the futility of dodging Comer’s probe.
Klain’s testimony marks him as the sixth Biden aide to face Comer’s investigation. Jeff Zients, Biden’s final chief of staff, was also summoned for a transcribed interview. The committee’s persistence signals a refusal to let Democratic obfuscation bury the truth.
A source close to Biden’s team labeled the probe “dangerous,” accusing Republicans of seeking to “smear and embarrass.” This defensive posture reeks of desperation, as if exposing Biden’s struggles is somehow unfair. The American public deserves transparency, not partisan whining.
Sullivan’s team clarified he never spoke with Klain alongside Clinton, nor discussed political prospects until after the debate. “Jake was national security advisor, meaning he was singularly focused on the safety of the country,” a source insisted. This carefully crafted narrative conveniently distances Sullivan from early doubts about Biden’s fitness.
Klain notably avoided commenting on President Donald Trump’s mental fitness, focusing solely on Biden. His silence on Trump contrasts sharply with his candid admissions about Biden’s memory issues. It’s a telling omission, sidestepping a chance to score political points.
Neither Klain’s attorney nor Clinton’s contact responded to Fox News Digital’s inquiries. Their silence only deepens the intrigue surrounding Democratic insiders’ private concerns. If there’s nothing to hide, why the reluctance to engage?
Comer’s investigation exposes a Democratic Party grappling with Biden’s vulnerabilities long before they became public. The probe, far from a witch hunt, reveals a pattern of internal doubt papered over by loyalty. Americans deserve leaders whose fitness isn’t a whispered concern among elites.
