Former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre testified before the House Oversight Committee on Friday, facing questions about President Joe Biden’s cognitive abilities and the ongoing controversy over the use of an autopen for official documents.
Like other former Biden officials brought before the committee, Jean-Pierre avoided answering questions from reporters as she entered and exited the closed-door session.
Reporters pressed her on whether she planned to address the autopen scandal in the book she is writing and whether pardons were connected to its use. She offered no public response.
Karine Jean-Pierre ignored questions from the press ahead of going before the House Oversight Committee. pic.twitter.com/WEWgcAKN0y [1]
— Fred Lucas (@FredLucasWH) September 12, 2025 [2]
During nearly six hours of testimony, Jean-Pierre told investigators that she “did not see a change in Biden’s competency from 2009 to 2025,” according to a source familiar with the interview.
At the same time, she acknowledged that Biden, now 82, was “not the same speaker he was when she met him,” but she could not explain the reason for the change in his speaking ability, the source said.
Jean-Pierre also disclosed that she had been given specific instructions on how to handle questions about Biden’s condition while serving as press secretary.
She testified that someone — she said she did not know who — placed guidance in her briefing binder directing her to use the “cheap fakes” defense when asked about videos circulating online that showed Biden appearing confused or unsteady.
According to the source, Jean-Pierre admitted that she often received talking points from various advisers but emphasized that issues relating to Biden’s health and mental acuity were “handled exclusively at the senior level.”
A former Biden White House colleague confirmed to the New York Post that senior advisers Anita Dunn and Mike Donilon coordinated the talking points related to Biden’s condition.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer said after the session that he believed Jean-Pierre may have included information in her upcoming book that could be helpful to the committee’s investigation.
WATCH: KJP refuses to answer questions after giving closed-door testimony on Biden’s cognitive decline
Footage from @_CadenOlson [3] pic.twitter.com/ugsdJnRRdF [4]
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 12, 2025 [5]
Not all of Jean-Pierre’s former colleagues were supportive of her testimony.
One former Biden aide told the New York Post, “Not a good look for the most public-facing person from the last administration, especially when she’s hawking a book.”
Another former aide was more pointed, saying, “I would like to ask her if she has a mind of her own — she just did what was on the paper? No critical thinking.”
Jean-Pierre’s testimony is the latest in a series of closed-door interviews with former Biden-Harris administration officials as lawmakers scrutinize Biden’s fitness for office and the handling of official documents bearing his signature.
The Oversight Committee continues to investigate allegations that the president’s staff relied on an autopen to issue pardons and sign other documents without Biden’s direct involvement.
The committee has not announced when it will release transcripts of Jean-Pierre’s testimony or when further witnesses will be called.
The investigation into both Biden’s cognitive state and the autopen controversy remains ongoing.