White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt took aim at former First Lady Jill Biden on Thursday, accusing her of being complicit in what the Trump administration now characterizes as a coordinated effort to hide President Joe Biden’s health decline during the final stretch of his term. The comments come amid growing Republican efforts to investigate what they allege was a deliberate cover-up of Biden’s cognitive and physical state by those closest to him.
During Thursday’s White House press briefing, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy asked whether President Trump is satisfied with plans for former Biden administration aides to be interviewed by the Senate or if he believes Jill Biden herself should also testify. Leavitt didn’t hold back, saying, “Frankly, the former first lady should certainly speak up about what we saw in regard to her husband and when she saw it and what she knew.” She went on to say, “Anybody looking at the videos and photo evidence of Joe Biden with their own eyes and a bit of common sense can see this is a clear cover-up and Jill Biden was definitely complacent in that cover-up.”
Leavitt referenced the Bidens’ recent appearance on ABC’s The View, where they dismissed suggestions that Joe Biden’s mental fitness had declined in the final months of his presidency. “She’s still lying to the American people,” Leavitt added. “And frankly, it’s insulting, and she needs to answer for it.”
The allegations have prompted Republican lawmakers to widen their inquiry. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who chairs the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has sent formal requests to nearly two dozen former top officials from the Biden administration. Among those asked to testify are former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, and Biden’s one-time chief of staff, Jeff Zients.
While Democrats have dismissed the investigation as politically motivated, Republicans are intensifying their focus, arguing that transparency around the former president’s health is critical. The push to involve Jill Biden in the probe marks a notable escalation, signaling that the Trump administration is willing to challenge even those traditionally viewed as outside the political fray.
Calls for accountability continue to grow, with GOP operatives and conservative media figures pointing to moments caught on camera as evidence of a decline. The White House under Trump is framing this not just as a health matter but as a breach of public trust accusing the Bidens of misleading the American people about the former president’s capacity to serve.