Republicans Continue Targeting Joe Biden Post-Presidency/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Morning Edition/ Six months after Joe Biden left office, Republicans continue to focus on him through congressional hearings and White House investigations. GOP leaders claim Biden’s aides concealed his mental decline and abused tools like the presidential autopen. Critics argue it’s a distraction from President Trump’s controversial policies.
GOP Focus on Biden Continues: Quick Looks
- Republicans lead probes into Biden’s mental fitness, autopen use
- Trump administration launches investigation into Biden-era White House procedures
- House committees subpoena Biden’s physician and top aides
- Critics call investigations a distraction from Trump’s current agenda
- Trump’s new tax and spending bill faces public skepticism
- Biden denies wrongdoing, calls allegations false and political
- Democrats wary of revisiting Biden, prefer focus on 2026
- GOP’s aggressive Biden focus may alienate moderate voters
Republicans Continue Targeting Joe Biden Post-Presidency
Deep Look
Though Joe Biden has been out of office for half a year, Republicans remain fixated on the former president as a central figure in their messaging, investigations, and political strategy. From President Donald Trump’s own rhetoric to ongoing congressional hearings, Biden continues to serve as a key target as both parties prepare for the 2026 midterm elections.
Central to the Republican offensive are claims that Biden’s advisers concealed signs of cognitive and physical decline during his presidency. GOP leaders have launched multiple investigations, including inquiries into the use of the presidential autopen—a tool that signs documents on the president’s behalf. Trump has labeled the use of the autopen “one of the biggest scandals in the history of our country.”
While Republicans see the focus as a necessary pursuit of transparency, Democrats and even some GOP strategists warn the emphasis on Biden risks overshadowing more urgent political challenges, including the rollout of Trump’s ambitious legislative agenda and widespread economic concerns.
Autopen Becomes the Latest Flashpoint
The Republican-led House Oversight Committee has made the autopen—a device routinely used by modern presidents—a subject of intense scrutiny. Lawmakers, including Rep. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, argue that use of the device potentially violates Article II of the Constitution, which vests executive authority solely in the president.
“It doesn’t say chief of staff. It doesn’t say an autopen,” Van Orden said during a recent hearing. The House panel has subpoenaed Biden’s personal physician and a top aide to former First Lady Jill Biden, both of whom invoked their Fifth Amendment rights. Committee Chair Rep. James Comer has lined up testimony from Biden’s former chiefs of staff and senior advisers to continue hearings through September.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that the current Trump administration supports investigating the use of the autopen, asserting the public deserves to know if Biden was truly making executive decisions.
Trump Keeps Biden in the Political Spotlight
Even after Biden dropped out of the 2024 race, ceding the Democratic nomination to Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump has kept him front and center. In campaign stops and policy rollouts, Trump frequently criticizes his predecessor, linking him to issues like inflation and blaming him for failures in federal cases, including the controversial Epstein investigation.
This strategy, however, may come with drawbacks. As Republican pollster Whit Ayres notes, “Most Americans consider Joe Biden to be yesterday’s news.”
Polling reflects mixed results for Trump’s own policy efforts. A recent survey from the Associated Press-NORC Center found that only about one-quarter of U.S. adults believe Trump’s policies have helped them. His signature legislative package, a sweeping tax and spending bill nicknamed “One Big Beautiful Bill,” remains unpopular overall, despite some individual measures—like tax relief—polling better.
GOP Risks Overshadowing Policy Messaging
Republicans had intended to spend the summer promoting Trump’s legislative achievements, including new tax cuts, border security provisions, and cuts to safety net programs. But ongoing Biden-related investigations are dominating headlines and potentially diluting the GOP’s ability to sell its current agenda.
Rep. Nick Lalota of New York acknowledged the delicate balance. “My constituents care most about affordability and public safety,” he said. “But this is an important issue nonetheless.”
Others see the focus on Biden as misdirected energy. Rep. Wesley Bell, a Democrat from Missouri, called the hearings “an extraordinary waste of time,” arguing that Republicans are deflecting from the real economic struggles facing families. “Americans want us to deal with the issues that are plaguing our country now … the high cost of living, cost of food, the cost of housing, health care,” Bell said.
Democrats Walk a Tightrope on Biden
Democrats are also grappling with how to address the renewed scrutiny of Biden. While many have praised his accomplishments in office—particularly in infrastructure and pandemic response—there’s little enthusiasm for defending him now. Quietly, many Democratic leaders are looking to move forward with Harris at the helm and refocus on flipping the House and gaining Senate seats.
Rep. Don Beyer of Virginia voiced that dual sentiment.
“Biden was productive,” he said, “but he was not at the top of his game because of his age.” For Democrats, the priority is shifting the conversation toward their 2026 platform and preparing for the 2028 presidential race.
A Calculated Political Gamble
Despite risks, Republicans appear committed to keeping Biden in the public conversation, betting that his unpopularity with Trump’s base can drive turnout and distract from criticism of the current administration. Trump, now 79 and facing health questions of his own, continues to use Biden as a foil to energize supporters and justify his sweeping actions.
Meanwhile, Democrats are counting on voters to grow tired of what they see as political theater. If Republicans overplay their hand, they risk alienating moderate voters who played a key role in past midterm victories, including Democrats’ 2018 reclaiming of the House under Trump’s first term.
With the 2026 election cycle heating up, the real question may be whether voters are more concerned with past presidents or current problems.
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