Former White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients told congressional investigators during a closed-door House Oversight Committee hearing on Thursday that President Joe Biden had increasing difficulty remembering names and dates in the final years of his presidency, often requiring additional meetings to make decisions, according to Axios.
Zients added that First Lady Jill Biden had discussed managing the President with him as he prepared to assume the Chief of Staff role in early 2023, urging adjustments to Biden’s schedule to allow more rest and earlier returns to the White House residence for family time or personal downtime.
He also informed investigators that Hunter Biden became directly involved in discussions regarding presidential pardons toward the end of Biden’s term, attending meetings on the matter. However, Zients noted he did not participate in the final meeting concerning the most controversial pardons, including the blanket pardons issued to several family members in Biden’s final hours as President.
