Trump Waives Executive Privilege For Biden Aides Testifying On Mental Acuity

President Donald Trump's administration has waived executive privilege for former Biden aide Neera Tanden amid a House Oversight Committee probe into President Joe Biden's mental acuity and use of autopen signatures on official documents. Deputy White House counsel Gary Lawkowski informed Tanden that the extraordinary nature of the investigation justified unrestricted testimony, emphasizing that the congressional need for information outweighs executive confidentiality. Tanden testified behind closed doors, denying any belief that others ordered autopen signatures instead of Biden, while other former Biden officials are expected to testify in the coming weeks. This move marks a reversal of the Biden administration's prior stance, which aggressively invoked executive privilege during investigations into Trump's presidency, including the Mar-a-Lago documents case. Critics note that the Biden administration's previous attacks on executive privilege have now backfired, as the Trump administration is applying those same standards to Biden's former officials. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer highlighted the public's interest in understanding who was effectively in control during Biden's tenure amid concerns about his cognitive fitness.