Senate probe launched into Biden’s health cover-up: Who was really running the government?

A political firestorm has erupted in Washington following a bombshell revelation regarding former President Joe Biden’s health and mounting speculation about a covert power structure operating during his presidency. US Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI), chair of the Senate Homeland Security investigative subcommittee, has launched an official probe to investigate what he suggests may have been a deliberate cover-up of Biden’s cognitive condition while in office – and to determine who was truly calling the shots during his administration.

The investigation comes on the heels of a stunning announcement from Biden’s office last weekend, confirming that the former president had been diagnosed with an “aggressive form” of prostate cancer. While the public expression of sympathy was swift, particularly from political figures including President Donald Trump, scrutiny over the timing and transparency of the announcement has opened the floodgates for deeper questions about the integrity of Biden’s presidency.

Speaking to Axios on May 21, Senator Johnson disclosed that the focus of his investigation would be a “couple dozen people” who had direct, sustained contact with Biden during his term in office. The core objective, according to Johnson, is to uncover the truth behind the former president’s cognitive health and identify who may have been making crucial decisions on his behalf.

In a social media post on May 22, Johnson wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “I’ve just sent letters to former Joe Biden cabinet members requesting that they appear before my Subcommittee for an interview about Biden’s cognitive capabilities during his presidency.” The senator added pointedly, “Will these individuals finally tell the truth, or will they double down on their lies?”

This inquiry signals a dramatic escalation of Republican concerns that began during Biden’s re-election campaign in 2024, where signs of physical frailty, mental lapses, and verbal confusion were on full display. Critics have argued that these warning signs were ignored or intentionally downplayed by media allies and top administration officials. The issue reached a boiling point after Biden’s widely criticized debate performance against Trump in June 2024, which prompted Democratic heavyweights to urge him to drop out of the race – a move he ultimately made in July.

President Donald Trump has been among the most vocal in condemning what he sees as a calculated deception of the American public. In a post on his Truth Social platform dated May 20, Trump accused Biden’s handlers of knowing full well that the former president was mentally compromised, and of pushing through policies in his name without his true awareness or consent.

“These were people that knew he was cognitively impaired, and that took over the autopen,” Trump stated, referencing the automatic signature device used for presidential communications. “This is TREASON at the highest level!… Something very severe should happen to these treasonous thugs.”

Speaking further to reporters on May 19, Trump expressed disbelief at the late-stage nature of Biden’s cancer diagnosis, questioning how such a condition could go unnoticed or unreported until now. “To get to stage nine, that’s a long time,” he remarked, implying a sustained and possibly deliberate delay in informing the public.

What was once whispered in conservative circles has now become a bipartisan concern. Even some centrist Democrats have begun to voice support for increased transparency surrounding Biden’s time in office. While few have gone as far as to accuse his staff of treason, there is growing discomfort over how much of Biden’s presidency was driven by aides and advisors operating without direct oversight from the president himself.

“If these allegations are proven true – that a circle of unelected officials ran the country under the false pretense of presidential command – we are looking at one of the most serious breaches of democratic trust in US history,” said Dr. Harold Simmons, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University.

Senator Johnson’s investigation could therefore have sweeping implications, not only for Biden’s legacy but also for questions of presidential accountability, the chain of command, and the role of the so-called “deep state” in American governance.

Johnson’s subcommittee has already sent requests to several key former Biden cabinet members, including former Chief of Staff Ron Klain, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The subcommittee seeks testimony and documentation that could shed light on who had operational control over executive decisions during the final year of Biden’s presidency – particularly after reports of repeated cognitive lapses behind closed doors.

According to a former White House insider, who spoke to Politico under the condition of anonymity, Biden’s daily briefings were increasingly shortened and simplified as his term progressed. “We weren’t briefing the president – we were briefing his gatekeepers,” the source claimed.

In addition to probing members of the administration, Johnson’s investigation is also expected to scrutinize the role played by the mainstream media in shaping public perception. Conservative outlets have long accused legacy media platforms of running cover for Biden by minimizing his missteps and editing footage to avoid unflattering portrayals.

Senator Johnson has not ruled out calling media executives to testify, noting in a recent radio interview that “collusion between the White House and media outlets to obscure the president’s health would represent a gross violation of public trust.”

If the investigation uncovers substantial evidence that Biden was unfit to perform his duties but was shielded by staff and advisors, it could trigger a reckoning over the mechanisms in place to remove or sideline incapacitated presidents – such as the 25th Amendment, which was never invoked during Biden’s term.

“It’s not just about Joe Biden’s health,” Johnson told Axios. “It’s about whether or not our government was hijacked by unelected officials, and what we must do to prevent it from ever happening again.”

As the probe begins in earnest, the American public may soon be confronted with unsettling answers to a troubling question: Who was really in charge of the country?

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Damsana Ranadhiran, Special Contributor to Blitz is a security analyst specializing on South Asian affairs.

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