ATLANTA — Six months after Joe Biden left the Oval Office, he remains a central focus for Republicans, including President Donald Trump.
The House has launched investigations alleging that Biden’s top advisers concealed a physical and mental decline during his presidency. The Senate has initiated hearings on the 82-year-old Democrat’s mental fitness. Meanwhile, the Trump White House has opened its own inquiry into the Biden administration’s use of the presidential autopen, a tool Trump has called “one of the biggest scandals in the history of our country.”
This strategy aligns with Trump’s tendency to blame his predecessors for national problems. Just last week, he deflected criticism of his administration’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking case by pointing fingers at others, including Biden.
However, keeping the spotlight on the former president carries risks for both parties ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The more Republicans and Democrats discuss Biden, the less they can debate the impact—positive or negative—of Trump’s current term, especially his sweeping new tax and spending law that is reshaping the federal government.
“Most Americans consider Joe Biden to be yesterday’s news,” said Republican pollster Whit Ayres.
Seeking to avenge his 2020 election loss, Trump relentlessly mocked Biden’s age and fitness throughout the 2024 campaign, even after Biden withdrew from the race in favor of then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Now 79 and facing his own health challenges, Trump has continued his attacks on Biden, and his Republican allies have followed suit.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt recently confirmed the administration would investigate the Biden White House’s use of the autopen. Trump and other Republicans have questioned whether Biden was genuinely in control, suggesting aides abused a tool long used for routine presidential actions. “We deserve to get to the bottom of it,” Leavitt said.
In a statement, Biden responded to the criticism, affirming he was making the decisions during his presidency and calling any suggestion otherwise “ridiculous and false.”
On Capitol Hill, the House Oversight Committee is holding hearings on the autopen and Biden’s fitness for office. Citing the Constitution’s Article II, which vests authority solely in the president, Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., noted, “It doesn’t say chief of staff. It doesn’t say an auto pen.”
The committee subpoenaed Biden’s physician and a senior aide to former first lady Jill Biden, both of whom invoked their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. Committee chairman James Comer has scheduled hearings with numerous former top Biden aides through late September, ensuring the issue remains in the headlines.
Rep. Wesley Bell, D-Mo., a member of the committee, called the proceedings “an extraordinary waste of time.”
This sustained focus on Biden comes as Republicans work to define Trump’s second term and promote his signature “One Big Beautiful Bill,” which combines tax cuts, border security measures, and reductions to safety net programs like Medicaid.
Polling suggests the GOP faces challenges in winning public support for the overall effort. A recent AP-NORC poll found that about two-thirds of U.S. adults view the bill as a win for the wealthy. Another poll showed only about a quarter of adults feel Trump’s policies have helped them, with the president failing to earn majority support on any major issue, including the economy and immigration.
Bell called the Republican focus on Biden “tone deaf” and a “deliberate distraction” from the economic challenges facing American households.
The strategy also coincides with Trump facing criticism from his own supporters over the Justice Department’s decision not to release more records from the Epstein case. “The Epstein saga is more important to his base than whatever happened to Joe Biden,” said Ayres.
Even Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., acknowledged a balancing act. “My constituents care most about affordability and public safety,” he said. “But this is an important issue nonetheless.”
For Democrats, the situation is also complex. While they credit Biden with significant accomplishments, they are privately reluctant to discuss a leader who left office with low approval ratings and forced a late, difficult change at the top of the presidential ticket.
Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., said that while Biden was productive, he “was not at the top of his game because of his age.” He added that Democrats want to look forward, focusing on the midterms and the 2028 election. “How do we minimize the Trump damage with what we have right now?” he asked.
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