The testimony, described by a source briefed on the interview, contradicts repeated public claims made by the White House during the 2024 campaign. At the time, officials insisted Biden was “sharp,” “engaged,” and “fully capable” of performing his duties, even after widespread concern about his debate performance against then-candidate Donald Trump.

Zients also testified that he and then-first lady Jill Biden discussed adjusting the president’s schedule to allow more time for rest, family, and early returns to the residence.

He admitted speaking with former aides who later pleaded the Fifth during the Oversight probe — including Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, and White House physician Dr. Kevin O’Connor — about tailoring Biden’s appearances to reduce stress and avoid long walks or stairs.

He said Anita Dunn, Biden’s top adviser at the time, who admitted last month that the Robert Hur special counsel report prompted the ex-president to skip the Super Bowl pre-game interview, raised the possibility of a cognitive exam after the debate. Hur found that while there was evidence Biden “willfully retained and disclosed classified materials,” criminal charges would likely not result in a conviction in part due to Biden’s “poor memory.”

Zients also testified that he recommended a full medical workup to Dr. O’Connor after Biden’s disastrous June 27 presidential debate, implying it should include cognitive testing. O’Connor responded that he would take the suggestion “under advisement.” On July 3, 2024, Zients was reportedly telling staffers the debate was just “one night…. We all know is that he is a great president.”

In the interview on Thursday, Zients maintained his belief that Biden’s poor debate performance was due to a cold and losing his train of thought — but also told the Oversight Committee that he had “never seen [Biden] like that before,” and that the performance made him believe the president should exit the race.

He added that Jake Sullivan agreed, and that Cabinet officials, including Gina Raimondo, Denis McDonough, and Antony Blinken, expressed private concerns about Biden’s viability.

Zients also confirmed that Hunter Biden participated in internal pardon discussions late in the term, attending “a few meetings,” according to the source. It was not clear which meetings the former first son attended, though he was given one of the most sweeping pardons of any recipient, receiving a nearly 11-year unconditional pardon following his criminal cases for tax offenses and felony gun charges.

Rep. James Comer (R-KY), chairman of the Oversight Committee, had previewed Zients’s interview as the most important in the panel’s months-long probe, which centers on whether White House aides “usurped authority” from the president or carried out duties without his full consent.

“We believe Zients is the guy that was potentially making a lot of decisions down the stretch,” Comer told reporters. “And had a lot of responsibility with respect to the unauthorized use of the autopen.”

The committee is investigating whether any documents, including executive orders or pardons, were signed using Biden’s name without his full awareness. While the use of the autopen is legally permitted, as reviewed in a 2005 Justice Department memo, Republicans have raised concerns about whether Biden truly assented to using the autopen.

FORMER BIDEN CHIEF OF STAFF ARRIVES FOR HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE AUTOPEN INVESTIGATION

Zients is the final witness among 14 former aides called by the committee. A final report is expected to be released in the weeks ahead now that all interviews with former aides have been completed.

“We believe we have a lot of information already from the witnesses who have answered questions,” Comer said Thursday morning, without specifying when the report would be released. “They’ve been pretty forthcoming in their answers.”