Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor previously dismissed cognitive tests as «meaningless,» ex-Biden administration aide Bruce Reed told House investigators on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the proceedings.

Reed, who served as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, is the ninth member of former President Joe Biden’s inner circle to sit down with House Oversight Committee lawyers.

A source familiar with his interview told Fox News Digital that Reed attributed Biden’s disastrous 2024 debate performance against then-candidate Donald Trump to the former president’s stutter, a condition that’s been well-documented and Biden himself has publicly acknowledged. 

But his meandering and seemingly tired demeanor on stage with Trump alarmed both Democrats and media pundits, who saw it as a glaring sign of Biden’s advanced age. It precipitated both a public and private push by left-wing lawmakers to get Biden to drop out of the race — which he did in July 2024.

COMER DISMISSES BIDEN DOCTOR’S BID FOR PAUSE IN COVER-UP PROBE: ‘THROWING OUT EVERY EXCUSE’

When asked whether public concerns about Biden’s mental acuity were legitimate, however, the source told Fox News Digital that Reed said he believes Americans should not have had any concerns about the ex-president’s mental faculties.

Reed also told investigators that «the president’s communications team anticipated that the issue of a cognitive test would likely be raised» in Biden’s interview with ABC News host George Stephanopoulos following the debate.

«Mr. Reed further explained that President Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, dismissed cognitive tests as ‘meaningless,’» the source said.

O’Connor was among the first former White House officials summoned by House investigators, and sat down with them last month after being compelled via subpoena. 

But his sit-down lasted less than an hour, with the doctor opting to invoke the Fifth Amendment to avoid answering all questions but his name. His lawyers said at the time that was due to concerns about violating doctor-patient confidentiality. 

In his own interview Tuesday, Reed also defended the Biden 2024 campaign’s preference to hold the debate earlier than typical for a presidential cycle, the source said.

Former deputy chief of staff for policy Bruce Reed is the ninth ex-Biden administration aide to appear before the House Oversight Committee. (Getty Images)

«During his interview, Mr. Reed stated that the decision to hold the debate early was a deliberate strategy to get ahead of early voting and the Olympics. He emphasized that the campaign’s push for the early debate was unrelated to concerns about President Biden’s age,» the source said.

Excerpts of Reed’s opening statement to investigators, obtained by Fox News Digital via a second source familiar with the interview, show he emphatically defended Biden’s cognitive abilities.

«While I can only speak to my own observations, I had the benefit of working with President Biden nearly every day of his presidency. Despite his age, President Biden maintained an unrelenting work ethic, embraced complex policy issues, and approached decisions with diligence and deliberation,» Reed said, according to the source.

LONGTIME BIDEN AIDE SAYS HE STOOD TO EARN UP TO $8M HAD PRESIDENT WON RE-ELECTION

Reed also described Biden as «a demanding boss who routinely grilled staff members on a topic until he reached the limits of our knowledge so he could judge whether to have confidence in our advice,» though «that didn’t mean he’d take it.»

«From the first days in the White House to the last, President Biden governed the same way he’d gotten there, by trusting his own values and instincts,» Reed said, according to the source.

«There is no tougher test than the presidency: President Biden asked tough questions, made tough decisions, and led his country well in challenging times for the nation and the world.»

House Oversight and Accountability committee Chairman James Comer is leading the probe (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., is probing whether Biden’s senior aides worked to cover up evidence of mental decline in the former president, and whether that meant Biden was not making the final decision on executive matters signed by autopen.

Of particular interest to Comer is the myriad of clemency orders Biden signed in the latter half of his presidency, though the former president told The New York Times last month that he was behind every decision.

His allies have also dismissed Comer’s probe as purely political.

Fox News Digital reached out to Reed’s counsel and lawyers for O’Connor for comment but did not hear back by press time.

The Italian government, under new legislation, would tighten controls on the supply of gender transition medical treatment for minors, according to a draft law.

The law was passed by Italy’s cabinet late on Monday but is still subject to approval from parliament. The government said the law was needed «to protect the health of minors» and introduce «effective data monitoring.»

The measure would regulate medications such as puberty blockers and feminizing or masculinizing hormones for people under the age of 18 who are experiencing gender dysphoria.

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION REFINES EEOC APPROACH TO TRANSGENDER WORKPLACE DISCRIMINATION CLAIMS

Under the bill, these medications would only be dispensed following protocols that have not yet been drafted by the health ministry and, pending that, after approval by a national ethics committee of pediatricians.

The measure also establishes a national registry at the Italian Medicines Agency to monitor «the correct use of [these] medicines» and collect the medical histories of each transgender person undergoing treatment.

The draft law has sparked protests from transgender rights advocates.

USA FENCING MINNESOTA DIVISION TO ONLY SANCTION MIXED EVENTS IN RESPONSE TO TRANS BAN

FILE PHOTO: A person attends the annual LGBTQ+ Pride parade in Rome, Italy, June 14, 2025.  (REUTERS/Yara Nardi)

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has described herself as an opponent of what she and her allies call the LGBTQ+ lobby and «gender ideology.»

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has described herself as an opponent of what she and her allies call the LGBTQ+ lobby and «gender ideology.» (Reuters)

Meloni’s government has made it more difficult for gay couples with children to both be recognized as legal parents and has made it illegal for any couple to go to another country to have a baby through surrogacy.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The draft bill could still be rejected or amended by parliament, although it is likely to be approved, given that Meloni’s coalition has a solid majority and backs its objectives.

Reuters contributed to this report.

El enviado especial del presidente Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff, llegó este miércoles a Moscú, en una visita diplomática de alto nivel que ocurre a dos días del plazo impuesto por la Casa Blanca para que Rusia detenga su ofensiva militar en Ucrania. La llegada de Witkoff fue confirmada por la agencia estatal rusa TASS, que reportó que fue recibido por el representante especial del Kremlin, Kirill Dmitriev.

La visita se da en un contexto de máxima tensión entre Washington y Moscú, luego de que Trump advirtiera que impondría nuevas sanciones si el Kremlin no da señales concretas de frenar el conflicto. “Vamos a ver qué sucede”, dijo el presidente estadounidense el martes. “Tomaremos esa decisión en ese momento”, agregó ante la prensa.

La Casa Blanca no ha detallado si Witkoff se reunirá directamente con el presidente Vladimir Putin, aunque fuentes oficiales recordaron que ambos ya han mantenido encuentros previos. El contenido de las reuniones, por ahora, no ha sido divulgado, pero funcionarios estadounidenses indicaron que se trata de conversaciones “de último momento” antes de que se activen nuevas medidas punitivas.

Las autoridades rusas expresaron una postura abierta al diálogo. “Consideramos estas conversaciones importantes, sustanciales y útiles”, declaró el lunes el portavoz del Kremlin, Dmitri Peskov. “Valoramos los esfuerzos de Estados Unidos para terminar el conflicto”, añadió.

El viaje de Witkoff ocurre en medio de advertencias desde Washington sobre posibles “aranceles secundarios” que afectarían no sólo a Rusia, sino también a sus principales socios comerciales, incluidos China e India. El objetivo, según fuentes del Departamento del Tesoro, es reducir los flujos de exportación rusos que aún se mantienen activos pese a las sanciones vigentes.

En una orden ejecutiva emitida la semana pasada, Trump argumentó que las recientes acciones del gobierno ruso representan una “amenaza inusual y extraordinaria” para la seguridad nacional, la economía y la política exterior de Estados Unidos. La medida también calificó como “injustificados” los cargos presentados por Moscú contra Ucrania y criticó la falta de avances hacia un alto el fuego.

La guerra, que lleva más de tres años, sigue sin perspectivas claras de resolución. Tres rondas de negociaciones de paz celebradas en Estambul no han producido avances. Rusia insiste en que Ucrania reconozca la soberanía rusa sobre cuatro regiones ocupadas y renuncie a integrarse en la OTAN. Ucrania, por su parte, exige el cese inmediato de la ofensiva y la retirada de tropas.

El martes, Trump reiteró su malestar con la continuidad del conflicto. Cuando fue consultado sobre qué mensaje llevará Witkoff a Moscú, respondió: “¿Hay algo que Rusia pueda hacer para evitar las sanciones? Sí, lograr un acuerdo donde la gente deje de morir”.

El despliegue diplomático se produce también después de que Trump confirmara el envío de dos submarinos nucleares estadounidenses “a la región”, en respuesta a una polémica con el ex mandatario ruso Dmitry Medvédev. No se especificó si se trata de submarinos con capacidad de ataque nuclear ni su ubicación exacta.

Desde Moscú, Peskov respondió con cautela. “Rusia presta mucha atención al tema de la no proliferación nuclear. Y creemos que todos deben ser muy, muy cautelosos con la retórica nuclear”, advirtió el portavoz del Kremlin el lunes.

Se espera que la misión de Witkoff se prolongue por al menos dos días. La decisión final de Trump sobre las sanciones económicas dependerá, según indicó el propio mandatario, del resultado de estas reuniones.

(Con información de AFP)