Biden's Health Status to Be Disclosed? US House Summons White House Advisor

Summons Issued to First Lady's Closest Aide and White House Deputy Chief of Staff
White House Calls It a "Political Stunt to Attract Media Attention"

The U.S. House of Representatives has summoned White House aides to verify President Joe Biden's health amid talks of his potential withdrawal from the presidential race.

On the 10th (local time), U.S. media Axios reported that James Comer, a Republican and chairman of the House Oversight Committee, issued subpoenas to Anthony Bernal, a close aide to First Lady Jill Biden, Annie Tomasini, Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, and Ashley Williams, a White House advisor. Chairman Comer demanded responses by the 17th and requested their participation in a private interview later this month.

Axios explained that although these individuals are not widely known, they hold influence within the White House. In the subpoena, Comer described them as "among several White House staff entrusted with running the country when the president is unable to do so," adding, "The Oversight Committee is concerned about this."

The subpoena for Bernal states, "The committee seeks to determine the extent of Bernal's influence over the president and whether the president is directly performing his duties."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The White House immediately pushed back against the subpoena, which was initiated by the opposing Republican Party ahead of the U.S. presidential election. Ian Sams, White House Deputy Press Secretary for Oversight and Investigations, criticized, "As with everything Congressman Comer has done over the past year, this subpoena is a baseless political stunt aimed at garnering media attention rather than legitimate oversight."

Sams further emphasized, "His partisan attacks on the president have already been discredited," adding, "He continues to undermine the House by weaponizing subpoenas to make headlines instead of seeking information through proper constitutional procedures."

The White House has begun efforts to quell speculation about President Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race. Biden’s aides have been calling delegates attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago starting next month on the 19th to confirm their continued support for President Biden, according to political media outlet Politico.

So far, President Biden has secured 3,894 of the total 3,937 delegates in the Democratic primary, positioning him for official nomination at the convention.