WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) delivered a scathing condemnation of the Democratic Party and its leadership, accusing them of a four-year-long campaign of deception regarding President Joe Biden’s cognitive fitness. Armed with documented quotes from Democratic officials and the devastating conclusions of the Department of Justice (DOJ), Hawley used a Senate hearing to demand immediate transparency, effectively calling the Democrats’ bluff on the legality of the Biden administration’s actions.
The confrontation centered on a simple, yet explosive contradiction: While top Democrats consistently vouched for Biden’s “sharp,” “focused,” and “formidable” demeanor, the President’s own Justice Department concluded he was too mentally impaired to stand trial for mishandling classified documents.
Hawley wasted no time, using the absent seats of his Democratic colleagues as a visual symbol of their evasion. “All you have to do is look over at this side of the dais to see that the stone wall continues. From the party that lied to this nation for four years.”
The core of Hawley’s accusation hinged on Special Counsel Robert Hur’s DOJ report, which investigated Biden’s illegal retention of classified documents—documents, as Hawley noted, illegally kept “in his garage, in his freezer. I mean, Lord knows where.”
The report concluded that no charges were warranted largely because Biden was deemed to be a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory” who could not form the “requisite mental state to stand trial.” In other words, the President lacked the mental ability to be held accountable for a federal crime.
Hawley then slammed the Democrats’ public response, which involved outright denial and dismissal of the DOJ’s finding:
Vice President Kamala Harris: Claimed, “The way that the Hur report characterized the president [is] so wrong. The president’s demeanor is totally fine.”
“Where are they now?” Hawley demanded of the empty seats. “They don’t want to answer for any of those quotes now. They lied to us for four years, and we know they lied. They know they lied. It’s why they’re not here. They don’t want to answer a single question.”
Hawley condemned the political calculus: “The bill of goods they sold this country… they walked this country right into one of the greatest constitutional crises of our history… and now they are afraid to even show up to admit it.”
He characterized the Democrats’ continued support of Biden as elder abuse, suggesting the party was prioritizing political power over the well-being of the former President. “This is embarrassing. But worse than that,
Hawley immediately pivoted to a crucial legal and ethical component that could prove the deception: the use of the Autopen
to sign official documents.
The discussion centered on the opinions of the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC), which dictates that the presidential Autopen can only be used when the President “specifically directs it and it is under his direct authority.”
“So based on the facts we know,” Hawley challenged the witnesses, “did that happen in this case with all of the pardons and clemencies and other giveaways that Joe Biden signed?”
A witness confirmed that if the Biden White House followed traditional practice, “there should be records to indicate either through a covering memorandum or briefing books where the President would have signed his signature authorizing his decision.”
Crucially, the witness stated that none of these records have been produced.
Hawley hammered the point: “This is a binary question… We can find out. So I right now today,
Hawley asserted that the paper trail—the records of the staff secretary’s office authorizing the use of the Autopen for acts such as pardoning “murderers, drug dealers, [and] child rapists”—would prove whether Biden was truly mentally capable of making those decisions, or if staff members were bypassing his cognitive limitations and abusing the power of the office.
“If what you did is legal, and if you’re really not embarrassed about it and you think it was totally constitutional, release the paper flow. Show us the documents where the President authorized the use of the pen for every single pardon and clemency and stay application.
”
Hawley’s final statement was a forceful summary of his purpose: “Josh Hawley did not show up to score political points. He showed up to defend the truth and demand honesty from those in power. He stood in that chamber like a wall of accountability, refusing to let years of deception, excuses, and political games be brushed aside.”
The hearing sent an unmistakable message: In an era where trust in government is fragile, leaders who lie, hide, and manipulate the truth will be held to account. The fight for honesty is not finished, but after Hawley’s unwavering resolve, it is stronger than ever.
President Trump and Karoline Leavitt bashed CBS News anchor Margaret Brennan during an interview with another reporter in the White House — calling the “Face the Nation” host “stupid” and “nasty.”
During an interview Friday in the Oval Office, Trump spoke with Reagan Reese, White House correspondent at right-wing news site Daily Caller, about his gripes with mainstream media.
At one point, he took aim at Brennan, saying: “The woman on the ‘Face the Nation’ is so bad.”
Leavitt chimed in to supply the host’s name: “Margaret Brennan.”
“Margaret Brennan. What do you think of her?” Trump asked the White House press secretary.
Leavitt replied: “She’s stupid. You can put that on the record.”
Trump jabbed: “She’s nasty.”
The president added that he’s surprised that Secretary of State Marco Rubio continues to appear on Brennan’s show as a guest.
“The level of hatred, I’m surprised he goes on there, the level of hatred when they’re asking the question,” Trump said.
Earlier in the interview, Trump blasted CBS News over its controversially-edited “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris – which ultimately won Trump a $20 billion settlement over claims of election interference.
Nora O’Donnell – who was recently ousted from “CBS Evening News” after five years in the anchor seat – also caught flak from the president.
“It’s like if they had Nora O’Donnell, anybody could do this. You could take 50% of the women off the street, they’d do just as good,” Trump said.
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“Pay her 12 million a year, and she’s not going to be there very long. But if she’s not already out, I mean, she’s pretty close, I would say she’s pretty close.”
After delivering her last evening news sign-off earlier this year, O’Donnell has stayed on at the network to deliver long-form reporting and interviews for CBS’ “Sunday Morning” and “60 Minutes” programs.
The news anchor’s $8 million salary was slashed by more than half to $3.8 million when she re-signed a deal with the network in 2022, The Post previously reported.
Trump praised the audience at the Daily Caller – a right-wing news site founded in 2010 by Tucker Carlson and former Dick Cheney aide Neil Patel. Patel bought out Calson’s stake in 2020.
“People don’t realize how big our market is,” Trump said, referencing people who voted for him.