By: Ariella Haviv

In a dramatic and deeply consequential moment on Capitol Hill, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, President Joe Biden’s longtime personal physician and former White House doctor, invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination during a closed-door deposition with the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. As The New York Post reported, Dr. O’Connor’s decision to remain silent under questioning has only intensified mounting allegations of a cover-up surrounding the 46th president’s mental and physical fitness for office.

Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), speaking after the abrupt and unproductive interview, confirmed that Dr. O’Connor refused to answer a single question related to President Biden’s cognitive condition, physical health, or alleged instructions to conceal key medical findings. “This is unprecedented,” Comer declared. “And I think this adds more fuel to the fire that there was a cover-up.”

According to the information provided in The New York Post report, O’Connor’s testimony—or more accurately, his refusal to testify—represents a pivotal moment in the GOP-led investigation into what critics claim was a deliberate effort to shield the American public from the president’s apparent decline. At the heart of the inquiry is whether O’Connor, under pressure from Biden’s inner circle, knowingly misled the public about the president’s ability to perform his duties.

“Were you ever told to lie about the president’s health?” Comer said he asked the doctor. “Did you ever believe President Biden was unfit to execute his duties?” In both cases, Dr. O’Connor invoked his constitutional right not to answer.

The only question O’Connor responded to during the entire deposition, according to an Oversight Committee spokesperson, was a procedural confirmation of his name.

The New York Post report emphasized that O’Connor’s legal strategy is all the more perplexing given that doctor-patient privilege would have covered many of the questions posed by lawmakers. Yet his refusal to engage at all—despite not being barred by any claim of executive privilege or White House instruction—suggests deeper concerns about potential criminal or ethical liability.

In a follow-up statement, Comer said plainly what many on the Hill are now whispering aloud: “There is clearly a conspiracy to cover up President Biden’s deteriorating mental condition.” The Kentucky Republican vowed that the Committee would continue to pursue the truth “for the American people,” beginning with a series of additional interviews with former Biden aides scheduled in the coming weeks.

Friday will see the Committee interview Ashley Williams, a former Deputy Director of Oval Office Operations. Then, on July 18, former Deputy Chief of Staff Annie Tomasini—identified in the tell-all book Original Sin as a key member of an internal “Politburo” that allegedly handled day-to-day presidential decision-making—will be deposed under oath.

The New York Post has reported on the Original Sin revelations, including journalist Jake Tapper’s and Alex Thompson’s explosive allegations that a tight-knit cabal of senior Biden aides operated effectively as gatekeepers, often shielding the president from scrutiny—and the public from the truth.

Other forthcoming Oversight depositions include former Chief of Staff Ron Klain (July 24), Counselor Steve Ricchetti (July 30), Senior Adviser Mike Donilon (July 31), and Deputy Chief of Staff Bruce Reed (August 5). Anita Dunn, who stepped down from her post as senior communications adviser in August 2024, is expected to testify on August 7.

The broader investigation, as detailed in The New York Post report, also includes questions about the use of an autopen to sign critical executive orders and pardons, raising concerns about whether President Biden was even conscious—or competent—during key moments of his presidency.

The Department of Justice’s announcement earlier this week that it had found “no evidence” of medical misconduct or hidden ailments, including alleged advanced-stage prostate cancer, has failed to quiet public skepticism. Instead, critics view the DOJ’s conclusions as premature and politically motivated, particularly in light of Dr. O’Connor’s stonewalling.

The Trump White House had already declined to invoke executive privilege over any portion of O’Connor’s testimony, according to the information in The New York Post report, allowing the former physician to speak freely—had he chosen to do so.

“There’s more and more evidence coming out every day that would suggest the president was in a pretty severe mental decline,” Comer noted prior to the deposition. “We can’t have the physician’s office not being truthful about the health condition of the president.”

Legal analysts suggest that O’Connor’s decision to plead the Fifth may indicate concerns about perjury, obstruction, or involvement in what some lawmakers are now calling a “deliberate deception campaign” aimed at preserving the illusion of a functioning presidency during Biden’s final months in office.

Notably, Dr. O’Connor is being represented by prominent criminal defense attorney Robert Schertler, who also defended Dr. Anthony Fauci during his testimony before Congress regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Schertler’s presence further signals the legal gravity of the current inquiry.

As The New York Post report observed: “It is not merely a medical scandal. It is a constitutional crisis in the making.” The paper has been particularly aggressive in pursuing the Biden health story, publishing exclusive interviews and leaked documents that challenge the administration’s narrative of transparency and stability.

For now, the House Oversight Committee appears determined to press forward. “We will not rest until we uncover the full extent of this cover-up,” Comer vowed.

If the events of Wednesday are any indication, the road ahead may be as politically explosive as it is constitutionally consequential.