The investigation begins: Who was really in charge during the Biden years?

In the midst of the bumpy 2024 presidential race, one thing was clear to most Americans: President Biden was not well. Millions saw him repeatedly spouting gibberish; confusing names, places and dates; and 656

even unable to know how to get off a stage. Now, under the Trump administration, both the Department of Justice and the House Oversight Committee have begun investigations to try to unravel what could be the biggest scandal in years.

This week, President Donald Trump issued an executive memorandum ordering Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House Counsel David Warrington to investigate former President Biden's cognitive health during his time in the White House and the cover-up surrounding his cognitive impairment. He is also calling for an investigation into possible abuse of power. Trump believes the former president's close circle used an "autopen," a device that replicates signatures and whose use is legal, to authorize important official documents, without the president's knowledge of what was being approved.

Regarding the danger of Biden not being aware of what was being approved, the Trump administration said the following: "the White House issued over 1,200 Presidential documents, appointed 235 judges to the Federal bench, and issued more pardons and commutations than any Administration in U.S. history."

In a statement regarding the matter, the White House also recalled that the Department of Justice found that Biden had violated the law by deliberately withholding and disclosing classified material, but ultimately concluded that Biden was unfit to stand trial due to his incompetent mental state and advised that no charges should be brought against him.

In addition to President Trump's order, the House Oversight Committee is advancing its own investigation. According to the committee's chairman, Rep. James Comer, he has already contacted five of the former president's closest advisers, asking them to answer questions about Biden's "mental and physical faculties" during his time in the White House. The advisers include Biden's former chief of staff, Ron Klain, and aides Michael Donilon, Bruce Reed, Steve Richetti and Anita Dunn.

Rep. James Comer also issued a subpoena Thursday to Joe Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, to appear before the committee to answer questions about the alleged cover-up of the former president's mental deterioration. Comer has also indicated that they are also interested in understanding whether the "financial relationship with the Biden family" affected the evaluation of the former president's physical and mental fitness.

The Oversight Committee chairman said he also plans to subpoena Karine Jean-Pierre, Biden's former press secretary, who has just announced the publication of a book on the details surrounding the former president's bizarre and chaotic exit from the presidential race.

So the weeks ahead may be revealing for Americans. The hearings in the Oversight Committee, where every member, Republican and Democrat, has the opportunity to question the witness, are a perfect venue for millions of people, including Democratic voters who feel betrayed, to get a live explanation of everything that happened.

Another key issue is that witnesses face fines or even jail time when appearing before Congress if they don't tell the truth. Lying to Congress is a crime. For four years, President Biden's team seems to have systematically lied, to the point of allegedly creating an entire scheme to hide the president and avoid meetings or appearances where his deteriorating health condition could be more clearly seen. Now, his closest aides will have to face tough questions in televised hearings, and with a commitment to tell the truth or face jail time.

Thanks to the investigations that have already begun, the questions of who was really running the country, how aware President Biden was of all the decisions being made, and what role did his family, specifically Hunter Biden, play in the government and in momentous decisions could be answered in the coming weeks.