The alleged Biden staff coup may be the most outrageous breach of American trust and executive power in modern history, and the full extent is only now coming to light as investigations dig into whether unelected aides secretly ran the country behind closed doors.
At a Glance
- House Oversight Committee and DOJ are investigating whether Biden’s aides concealed his cognitive decline and usurped executive authority.
- Senior staff, including former Chief of Staff Jeff Zients, have been subpoenaed to testify on decision-making within the Biden White House.
- Biden’s former physician and top aides have invoked privilege and the Fifth Amendment in response to inquiries about the president’s health and executive actions.
- The use of the autopen for signing official documents during alleged periods of incapacity is under criminal investigation.
Congress Digs for the Truth: Was the White House Run by Staffers, Not the President?
Republican-led investigations are tearing the lid off what many see as an audacious and dangerous power grab. Following Biden’s humiliating debate performance in June 2024, questions about his mental acuity went from whispered speculation to a full-blown national crisis. The American people, finally free from the fog of media spin, watched in disbelief as evidence mounted that senior staff may have concealed Biden’s condition and even taken over critical executive functions without public knowledge or constitutional authority. The House Oversight Committee, chaired by Kentucky’s James Comer, is now in the thick of a probe that could make Watergate look like child’s play.
Central to the investigation are allegations that Biden’s aides—some of whom now refuse to testify—deliberately hid the president’s declining health while continuing to wield the power of the Oval Office. The use of the autopen, a device intended for routine signatures, has become a lightning rod. Republicans argue it may have been deployed to keep the illusion of presidential authority alive while staffers made unauthorized decisions. The DOJ, under Attorney General Pam Bondi, is running a parallel criminal investigation that has already led to high-profile subpoenas and a wave of legal stonewalling from Biden’s former inner circle.
Stonewalling, Subpoenas, and Legal Dodge Games
The drama has only escalated as key witnesses are called to account. Former Chief of Staff Jeff Zients and top communications aides Karine Jean-Pierre, Ian Sams, and Andrew Bates have been summoned to testify, with most agreeing under pressure but some digging in their heels. Anthony Bernal, notorious for his close ties to the First Lady, and Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s longtime physician, have invoked doctor-patient privilege and the Fifth Amendment in the face of congressional and DOJ subpoenas. This legal duck-and-cover only stokes suspicion among conservatives who are tired of elites playing by their own rules while regular Americans are held to the letter of the law.
Republicans are demanding accountability for what they describe as a deception of historic proportions. Comer has accused Biden’s staff of betraying the public trust, while Trump has labeled the scandal “one of the most dangerous and concerning in American history.” Meanwhile, Biden and his dwindling band of defenders call the accusations “ridiculous and false,” but their denials ring hollow in the face of mounting evidence and the stubborn refusal of key witnesses to answer even the most basic questions.
A Crisis of Trust and a Test of the Constitution
The implications of these investigations go far beyond partisan score-settling. If it’s proven that unelected staffers hijacked the executive branch, it would represent a constitutional crisis of the highest order. Every American—regardless of party—should be appalled at the prospect of a shadow government overriding the will of the voters. The Biden staff coup allegations have already deepened the nation’s political divide, further eroding trust in the system and fueling calls for reforms to ensure that such a debacle can never happen again.
The legal and political fallout is only beginning. The House Oversight Committee’s probe is gathering testimony and documents at a fever pitch, while the DOJ’s criminal inquiry into unauthorized executive actions and misuse of the autopen has put former staffers on defense. Legal experts warn that this case pushes the boundaries of executive privilege and medical confidentiality, and the outcomes could set major precedents for how future presidents—and their unelected advisors—are held accountable.
Sources:
House Oversight Committee release
House Oversight Committee letter
