The intersection of health, fitness, and political leadership has always been a topic of public interest. This article delves into the role of Ron Klain, former White House Chief of Staff, with a particular focus on his involvement in discussions and observations surrounding the health and fitness of former President Joe Biden.
Ron Klain's Career Overview
Ron Klain is a prominent figure in American politics, having served as Chief of Staff to two U.S. Vice Presidents, Al Gore and Joe Biden, and later as Chief of Staff to President Joe Biden. His extensive experience in government and political campaigns has made him a key player in Democratic circles. Michael Kaplan, an award-winning reporter and producer for the CBS News investigative unit, specializes in securing scoops and crafting long-form television investigations.
Congressional Inquiries into Biden's Fitness
In recent times, there have been increased inquiries into the physical and mental fitness of political leaders, including former President Joe Biden. GOP Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, chairman of the House Oversight committee, sent letters to five of the former president's closest aides on Wednesday, requesting they answer questions about Biden's "mental and physical faculties" while he was leading the country. These inquiries often involve seeking testimony from close advisors to understand the extent to which a leader's health may impact their ability to govern. The aides include Biden's former chief of staff, Ron Klain, as well as members of his inner circle - advisers Michael Donilon, Bruce Reed, Steve Richetti, and Anita Dunn. They have not responded to a request for comment. A spokesperson told CBS News the committee is already in discussions with four other former White House aides - Anthony Bernal, Annie Tomasini, Ashley Williams, and Biden's physician, Dr.
Ron Klain's Testimony and Cooperation
Ron Klain has publicly addressed accusations related to the health of former President Biden. Klain, who left the White House in February 2023 and also helped prepare Biden ahead of a disastrous debate performance last June, has pushed back on accusations that he covered up any health issues. In a text message to Politico, he instead attributed Biden's poor performance to advisers, who had "isolated him from domestic politics." In the letters he sent Wednesday, Comer requested the aides appear before the committee for transcribed interviews in the middle of July. As chair of the House Oversight committee, Comer oversaw a long-running investigation trying to connect President Biden to the business dealings of his son Hunter.
Klain's cooperation with congressional investigators has been noted by lawmakers from both parties. Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain is cooperating with congressional investigators seeking information into former President Joe Biden's mental health during his time in office, a pair of lawmakers suggested Thursday. Klain, who ran Biden's White House for the first two years of his term, is currently sitting down with staff on the House Oversight Committee as part of Chair James Comer's probe into whether top administration aides covered up signs of decline in the former president while he was in office. Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told reporters roughly an hour into the session that Klain "answered every question" that Republicans put forward. Ron Klain, the former White House chief of staff, is on Capitol Hill Thursday. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Perspectives on Klain's Credibility
Lawmakers have offered varying perspectives on Ron Klain's credibility and transparency during these investigations. “I found Mr. Klain to be very credible, he answered every single question, he was fully cooperative,” said Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., told Fox News Digital minutes later when asked if Klain was credible, "Yeah - when I say credible, I think he is telling what he knows accurately. I mean, he's trying to be accurate. So that's what I'd say." "In my opinion, he is not trying to avoid answering the questions. He's answering the questions carefully. He's saying the things that I kind of expected him to say," Biggs said. "But he's been answering the questions, I think, forthrightly and in the way he sees the world." Comer, R-Ky., echoed the positive feedback to reporters when the session temporarily broke for lunch.
Klain's Account of Biden's Debate Preparation
One notable instance where Ron Klain's observations came into focus was during the preparation for a debate involving former President Biden. In a new book, Joe Biden’s former White House chief of staff paints a devastating picture of the then US president’s mental and physical state before the debate with Donald Trump that sent his 2024 campaign into a tailspin, resulting in his relinquishing the Democratic nomination to Kamala Harris. Ron Klain served Biden from 2021 to 2023, then returned to his side last June to run debate preparation as he had for numerous Democratic presidents before. According to Klain, it turned out that Biden “didn’t know what Trump had been saying and couldn’t grasp what the back and forth was”; left preparation and fell asleep by the pool; obsessed about foreign leaders, saying “these guys say I’m doing a great job as president so I must be a great president”; “didn’t really understand what his argument was on inflation”; and “had nothing to say about a second term other than finish the job”.
According to Klain, it turned out that Biden “didn’t know what Trump had been saying and couldn’t grasp what the back and forth was”; left preparation and fell asleep by the pool; obsessed about foreign leaders, saying “these guys say I’m doing a great job as president so I must be a great president”; “didn’t really understand what his argument was on inflation”; and “had nothing to say about a second term other than finish the job”. As described by Klain to the reporter Chris Whipple, at one point Biden had an idea. “If he looked perplexed when Trump talked, voters would understand that Trump was an idiot. Klain replied: ‘Sir, when you look perplexed, people just think you’re perplexed. And this is our problem in this race.” Whipple’s book, Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History, will be published next week. The Guardian obtained a copy.
Concerns About Biden's Condition
Klain's account detailed instances where Biden appeared fatigued, disengaged, and out of touch with American politics. Klain says Biden grew irritable, saying he would not make promises as he would be criticized for failing to deliver. Klain says he tried to persuade Biden to run on unfinished business, including his attempt to “subsidize state and local efforts to do childcare and bring down the cost to $20 a day. And you ought to try to fight for it again.” “Biden seemed befuddled,” Whipple writes. “‘Well, that just seems like a big spending program,’ he said. Klain said: “No, sir. It brings down costs for people. It’s responsive to inflation. It will bring more people into the workforce. It’s good economics. And you know this is something you’re for.” But “Biden didn’t want to talk about it” and “25 minutes into the second mock debate, the president was done for the day. ‘I’m just too tired to continue and I’m afraid of losing my voice here and I feel bad,’ he said. ‘I just need some sleep. I’ll be fine tomorrow.’ He went off to bed.”
Mock Debates and Preparations
During the debate preparations, Klain and others attempted to get Biden into shape, organizing mock debates to address specific policy areas. Two mock debates were organized, focusing on domestic policy. “The first was scheduled to last 90 minutes but Klain called it off after 45. The president’s voice was shot and so was his grasp of the subject. All he really could talk about was his infrastructure plan and how he was rebuilding America and 16 million jobs. He had nothing to say about his agenda for a second term.”
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The Debate Performance and Aftermath
The actual debate performance was widely seen as a disaster, with Biden stumbling, staring, and mumbling onstage. It was. On 27 June, Biden arrived at the Atlanta venue with minutes to spare - because, Klain said, “He was the president of the United States. They weren’t going to start without him.” Onstage, for two hours and six minutes, Biden stumbled, stared and mumbled. As described by Whipple, Jill Biden praised her husband’s performance but all others around the president could see “something was terribly wrong”. Whipple quotes an unnamed close friend of Biden who took a call from Valerie Biden Owens. The president’s sister and longtime adviser was “so angry, she was practically incoherent”. The same friend reports a later call from Biden, laughing at his predicament and sounding like the senator and vice-president of old.
Perspectives from "Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, And The Odds In The Wildest Campaign In History."
Chris Whipple's book, "Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, And The Odds In The Wildest Campaign In History," delves into the perspectives and decisions surrounding Biden's fitness for office. Democrats are still asking questions like, why didn't Joe Biden end his reelection campaign sooner? Why did he even run for reelection, knowing that he would have been 82 when he started his second term and 86 when it ended? Why didn't his staff tell him he wasn't up to the job? How did Kamala Harris lose to Trump after Trump tried to overturn the results of the 2020 election and was convicted of 34 felonies? My guest, Chris Whipple, explores these questions from different perspectives in his new book, "Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, And The Odds In The Wildest Campaign In History." Whipple's previous book was about the first two years of the Biden presidency. He's also the author of "The Spy Masters: How The CIA Directors Shape History And The Future," and "The Gatekeepers: How The White House Chiefs Of Staff Define Every Presidency." Biden's chief of staff during the first two years of his presidency, Ron Klain, was a major source for the new book about the 2024 election, as was Biden's final chief of staff, Jeff Zients.
Concerns About Biden's Age and Fitness
Whipple highlights concerns about Biden's age and its potential impact on his ability to govern effectively. So you write, the truth was that Joe Biden was too old to run for reelection, much less govern effectively in a second term. His advisers knew this or should have known it but refused to face that fact. None ever discussed with the president whether he was too old to serve a second term. Instead, they walled Biden off from the outside world, limiting the number of people who interacted with him. How do you know for sure that no one ever discussed with Biden whether he was too old to serve? You know, clearly, they were uncomfortable even then with the prospect of the president having an interview in real time with a reporter.
Limiting Biden's Exposure
The book also suggests that Biden's staff limited his exposure to the outside world, potentially to shield him from scrutiny regarding his health. What are some of the ways in which you say he was walled off from the outside world and his staff limited the number of people who interacted with him?
Klain's Perspective on Biden's Capabilities
Despite the concerns, Klain and other close advisors believed that Biden was capable of governing effectively. As I say, I think that this is much more interesting and not nearly as simple as the notion of a cover-up. In other words, I am convinced that Joe Biden's inner circle was convinced that Joe Biden was capable of governing, and they believed that he could do it for another four years. And we can't dismiss the fact that Biden on the very last day, July 21, that Sunday when his aides came to hammer out his abdication statement. Joe Biden was on the phone parsing the details of a complex multination prisoner swap. He was on top of every detail. People who visited Biden in the Oval Office to talk about the Middle East said he was on top of every nuance of Middle Eastern policy. This is not - this was not Woodrow Wilson. This was not somebody over in the corner who was incapacitated while, you know, all the president's men ran the government. Joe Biden, behind closed doors, was governing capably, whether you liked his policies or not. So there's no question that he was a shadow of the campaigner that he once was, and that was true from 2020 all the way to the end. But you can't dismiss the fact - it's an inconvenient fact for people who say it was a cover-up - that Biden was capable.
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The Debate and its Impact
The disastrous debate performance led to increased scrutiny and ultimately contributed to Biden's decision to drop out of the race. The days leading up to that disastrous debate with Trump did not find Biden in good shape, and Ron Klain saw it up close. What were some of the most disturbing signs that he saw that he told you about? He was in a terrible state. He was absolutely exhausted. He was unable really to follow what was happening in the campaign. He was tuned out. He was obsessed with NATO and with foreign policy, particularly with Emmanuel Macron of France and Olaf Scholz of Germany kept talking about how they said he was doing such a great job. He didn't really have anything to say about his second-term plans. And early on, he walked out of a session in the Aspen Lodge, the president's cabin, went over to the pool, sank into a lounge chair and just fell sound asleep.
Involvement of Hollywood Figures
The involvement of Hollywood figures like Steven Spielberg and Jeffrey Katzenberg in preparing Biden for debates highlights the unique approach taken by his campaign. Maybe this shouldn't have surprised me, but I didn't know that this kind of thing happens. Spielberg and producer Jeffrey Katzenberg both prepped Biden for the debate. Is that a typical thing, where, like, mega-Hollywood directors and producers prepare candidates before debate? It was a typical thing for Joe Biden, and it was almost like producing a Hollywood movie literally because Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg were on a Zoom call with him before he went to Camp David, advising him on how to answer questions. And Katzenberg in particular specialized in body language. Katzenberg was there during the whole week at Camp David prior to the debate, again, trying to help Biden look more authoritative with his movements on camera.
The Decision to Drop Out
The decision for Biden to drop out of the race was made after a pivotal talk with his closest aides, considering the political realities and the party's stance. How was the final decision made to drop out of the race? So Joe Biden is at Rehoboth Beach with only his closest aides. He's there with Jill Biden and with Annie Tomasini, deputy White House chief, and with Anthony Bernal, the first lady's senior advisor - other than that, just secret service. Sunday morning, his closest aides - Steve Ricchetti, Mike Donilon - come over and they sit down with him, and they have this pivotal talk. And they walk him through. They talk about the polls. They talk about the party. Ricchetti says to Joe Biden that, look, there's a path for you, but it's a brutal path. It's a lonely path, and it's a real fight. There's a narrow path that you can walk to victory in the swing states. You can do it, but the party leaders are against you. It's going to be divisive, and it's going to be a real battle. But Ricchetti was nevertheless, all in, if he was ready to go there, if he wanted to run for reelection.
Obama's Role
The relationship between Joe Biden and Barack Obama, marked by both closeness and competitiveness, played a role in the events leading to Biden's withdrawal. The Biden team was really angry with Obama. How come? You know, the whole relationship between Joe Biden and Barack Obama is so complex and fascinating and with so many levels to it. I mean, on the one hand, there's no question about the fact that they really they really bonded over Beau Biden's tragic death. And Barack Obama took Joe Biden under his wing, and they developed a closeness there. But at the same time, you know, there's a real competitiveness between them. And the Obama camp, for example, was not amused when Biden's staffers were going around early in his first term and talking about how the American Rescue Plan was so much bigger than Obama's stimulus package back in 2009. They're just competitive, these two camps. And the other major factor here is that Joe Biden never forgave Barack Obama or putting his thumb on the scale for Hillary Clinton to become the nominee in 2016. That was a really deep wound for Joe Biden. And in the end, it became clear that during that fateful weekend of July 2021 that Barack Obama wasn't really there. He just wasn't there for Joe Biden.
Harris's Preparedness
Kamala Harris's campaign was prepared for the possibility of Biden dropping out, waging a stealth campaign to be ready to take over the top spot. It sounds to me from your book that when Biden dropped out, the Harris campaign was kind of prepared for that. The Harris campaign was waging what you describe as a stealth campaign to try to be prepared in case Biden did drop out. Tell us about that stealth campaign. Yeah, you know, this is really previously unreported. But what I learned in writing the book was that prior to that weekend when Biden made his decision, you know, up to that point, Harris had to be absolutely scrupulous. You know, she was walking through a minefield. I mean, she had to be so careful not to give any hint that she was thinking about taking over the top spot on the ticket. But the truth was that she was quietly and secretly preparing. Her camp had reached out to democratic political operatives who were looking at the rules and getting ready and making sure that when that day came, I think they thought, that she would be ready to go.