President Donald Trump’s White House has waived executive privilege for a key figure from former President Joe Biden’s administration—someone who previously made controversial remarks questioning Trump’s mental fitness—amid growing concerns over Biden’s own cognitive and physical decline.
The move stands in contrast to the Biden administration’s prior refusal to permit former Trump officials like Steve Bannon and Peter Navarro to invoke executive privilege.
Former White House physician Kevin O’Connor is scheduled to testify this week before the House Oversight Committee as part of its investigation into the alleged cover-up of Biden’s health issues.
“In light of the unique and extraordinary nature of the matters under investigation, President Trump has determined that an assertion of executive privilege is not in the national interest, and therefore is not justified, with respect to particular subjects within the purview of the House Oversight Committee,” reads a letter that was sent to O’Connor from the White House, which was obtained by Fox News.
“These subjects include your assessment of former President Biden’s fitness for the office of the president and your financial relationship with the Biden family,” the letter continued.
“The extraordinary events in this matter constitute exceptional circumstances warranting an accommodation to Congress. Evidence that aides to former President Biden concealed information regarding his fitness to exercise the powers of the President — and may have unconstitutionally exercised those powers themselves to aid in their concealment — implicates both Congress’ constitutional and legislative powers,” the letter added.
When asked for comment, a spokesperson for the diminutive Army physician confirmed that he had received the letter. House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) issued a subpoena for O’Connor last week after the physician declined to voluntarily participate in a transcribed interview with committee investigators.
O’Connor’s lawyers had petitioned for a delay over the weekend, calling the scope of the probe “unprecedented.” His legal team added: “We are unaware of any prior occasion on which a Congressional Committee has subpoenaed a physician to testify about the treatment of an individual patient.
They continued: “And the notion that a Congressional Committee would do so without any regard whatsoever for the confidentiality of the physician-patient relationship is alarming.”
