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
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.
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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.
Following his victory, Mamdani shared a video on X outlining his plans for the transition period, emphasizing that “a lot of work lies ahead.”
The newly elected New York City mayor thanked his supporters and explained that, while he had previously asked them to stop sending campaign donations, he was now encouraging contributions from “working class” residents to help fund the transition. Mamdani said the funds would be used to hire policy experts, strengthen infrastructure, and support the early stages of his administration.
Along with the video, Mamdani wrote, “Thank you, New York City. Together we made history. Now let’s get to work.”
However, the newly elected mayor has faced backlash online for soliciting donations immediately after his election victory.
“It’s been less than 24 hours since Mamdani won the election & he’s already asking for money. Congratulations New York City, bravo,” one user wrote.
Another added, “Islamist and Communist Mamdani promises ‘free’ stuff. Now he begs for donations?” Yet another person commented, “Already begging for money. What a joke.”
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Liberal commentator Van Jones was among those raising alarm at Democratic socialist mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s fiery victory speech, noting what he called an instant “character switch” as soon as the election was called.
A roaring Mamdani wasted no time in claiming a mandate for his progressive agenda and taunting President Trump as he rallied supporters Tuesday night, the New York Post reported.
Jones told CNN that the 34-year-old’s tone was a stark departure from the calm and collected image he showed on the campaign trail.
“I think he missed an opportunity. I think the Mamdani that we saw in the campaign trail, who was a lot more calm, who was a lot warmer, who was a lot more embracing, was not present in that speech,” Jones said on a post-election panel.
“I think his tone was sharp. I think he was using the microphone in a way that he was almost yelling. That’s not the Mamdani that we’ve seen on TikTok and the great interviews and stuff like that.”
“I felt like it was a little bit of a character switch here,” he continued. “That warm, open, embracing guy was not there tonight.”
Jones, who served as an adviser in the Obama administration, said Mamdani would have been wiser to reach out to voters still wary of his far-left platform.
“There are a lot of people trying to figure out, ‘Can I get on this train with him or not? Is he going to include me? Is he going to be more of a class warrior even in office?’” Jones said. “I think he missed a chance tonight to open up and bring more people into the tent.”
“He’s very young and he just pulled off something very, very difficult. I wouldn’t write him off, but I think he missed an opportunity to open himself up tonight and I think that that will probably cost him going forward.”
Mamdani declared victory roughly two hours after polls closed.
With nearly 98 percent of precincts reporting, Mamdani led with 50.4 percent of the vote to independent candidate Andrew Cuomo’s 42 percent, according to the city Board of Elections.
“The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most damning of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this,” Mamdani said in his 20-minute victory speech.
“New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change, a mandate for a new kind of politics, a mandate for a city that we can afford and a mandate for a government that delivers exactly that.”