Earlier this week, Hunter Biden claimed that Democrats lost to Donald Trump in November because they lacked loyalty and trust in his father’s leadership. He claimed that Joe Biden had no health problems and that any suggestions to the contrary were “conspiracy” theories. In fact, Hunter said, it would be impossible to have hidden any cognitive decline due to all of the interactions his father had on a daily basis.
“Every single day, hundreds of people” saw his father, Hunter told Jaime Harrison on a podcast, “and you can’t get one of them to go on the record and say, ‘I saw the president do X?’”
James Comer would concur in part, and dissent in part. He’s been inviting senior White House personnel to testify about Joe Biden’s cognitive health at the House Oversight Committee, which they have refused to do. Comer has subpoenaed them to testify, and rather than follow Hunter’s advice and tell the committee what they saw Joe Biden do, they have so far decided that testifying might tend to incriminate themselves.
Deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, fingered as a member of the ‘politburo’ running the Biden Regency, took the Fifth yesterday at an Oversight deposition. She joins fellow ‘politburo’ member Anthony Bernal and White House physician Kevin O’Connor in deciding that the truth may not set her free at all:
🚨BREAKING: Yet ANOTHER top Biden official is pleading the 5th.
The latest? Former senior advisor to President Biden, Annie Tomasini. pic.twitter.com/Bef8SrGAL0
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 18, 2025
Annie Tomasini on Friday became the third Biden administration official to plead the Fifth Amendment in a House panel’s investigation into former President Joe Biden’s mental fitness and use of a presidential autopen while in office.
Tomasini was called on to appear before the Republican-led House Oversight Committee for a closed-door interview.
Tomasini, who served as the deputy chief of staff to Biden, invoked the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination and declined to answer questions, according to Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer.
It’s certainly interesting to apply the Hunter Test to these developments. Bernal and Tomasini saw the president constantly, likely every day of his presidency. If Biden had full cognitive capacity for the job, shouldn’t it be easy to just testify to all of the marvelous things they saw him do each day and at all times? And yet, to quote Biden fils, Comer has now dragged three senior officials into depositions, and yet he can’t get one of them to go on the record and say I saw the president do X.
Instead, the first three Comer asked have declared that answering these questions might tend to incriminate themselves. That prompts the question: incriminate themselves in what, exactly? Thus far, no crime has been established, and it’s not even clear that covering up a presidential incapacity would be a crime. That’s one reason that Comer can claim jurisdiction for the probe; he may want to craft legislation that would make such fraud and usurpation a clear and explicit federal crime.
Comer blasted the stonewalling coming from the Biden Regency Politburo so far, but made it clear that he is far from finished with Tomasini, Bernal, or this probe:
“Today, the third witness in our investigation into the cover-up of President Biden’s cognitive decline and unauthorized executive actions pleaded the Fifth Amendment. There is now a pattern of key Biden confidants seeking to shield themselves from criminal liability for this potential conspiracy.
“During her deposition today, Ms. Tomasini pleaded the Fifth when asked if Joe Biden, a member of his family, or anyone at the White House instructed her to lie regarding his health at any time. She also pleaded the Fifth when asked if she ever advised President Biden on the handling of classified documents found in his garage, if President Biden or anyone in the White House instructed her to conceal or destroy classified material found at President Biden’s home or office, and if she ever conspired with anyone in the White House to hide information regarding the Biden family’s ‘business’ dealings.
“It’s unbelievable that Ms. Tomasini and others refuse to answer basic questions about President Biden’s fitness to serve. It’s apparent they would rather hide key information to protect themselves and Joe Biden than be truthful with the American people about this historic scandal. There needs to be transparency and accountability, and we will continue to pursue the truth and examine options to get the answers we need.”
Tomasini’s attorney pointed to a parallel probe at the Department of Justice as the reason for her decision to refuse testimony:
“It is well known that there is an ongoing federal criminal investigation into this matter by the Department of Justice, ordered by the current White House,” the statement continued. “This past week, the Chairman suggested that it is ‘very possible’ the investigation could generate criminal referrals to the Department of Justice. Under these circumstances, any reasonable person would seriously consider an invocation of their Fifth Amendment rights.”
Well, sure … if indeed a conspiracy to usurp presidential authority existed in the Biden White House. If Joe Biden had full capacity for the job and made all of the decisions, why not say so? Hunter Biden certainly thinks it’s that simple. Jurors are not allowed to consider the invocation of the Fifth Amendment when it comes to trials, but the rest of us can certainly connect these dots and reach our own conclusions.
Comer intends to press forward, so perhaps Ron Klain might be the next to take Five. Comer’s committee did get testimony from Neera Tanden, who also didn’t take Hunter’s advice, preferring to distance herself from any of the decision-making processes in the Biden Regency. Ashley Williams, a longtime Biden ally, also testified earlier, but less is known about what the former West Wing deputy director had to say.
At some point, Pam Bondi and Comer will get together and find someone among the group pleading the Fifth for a full immunity grant, perhaps once they find some evidence to contradict the denials. At that point, one of these politburo members will have to decide whether to come clean or to sit in prison for a long while for a contempt of Congress charge.
