Jean‑Pierre Says Biden's Debate Was 'a Bad Night'; Says She Was Surprised by Hunter Biden Pardon and Will Address the "Three Weeks" in Her Book

Karine Jean‑Pierre told the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that President Joe Biden's poor debate performance in 2024 was, by Biden's own account, "a bad night," and that staff told her he had a cold.

Jean‑Pierre, who was watching the debate with White House and campaign staff, said she was told after the event that the president thought it had been a bad night and that he had been ill. "He said it was a bad night," she testified. She emphasized that she had seen the president frequently while serving and that her on‑the‑record explanation reflected what she observed.

The committee also questioned Jean‑Pierre about the pardon President Biden issued to his son, Hunter Biden. At the podium during the administration she repeatedly said the president would not issue a pardon; at the interview she said she was surprised by the decision. "I was surprised," she said, and added she had no direct role in the decision and had not discussed a pardon with the president prior to the public statement announcing it.

Members pressed Jean‑Pierre on the communications process that produced briefings and talking points, including a recently circulated talking‑points card dated Dec. 1, 2024 that framed the timing of the pardon as "made the decision this weekend." Jean‑Pierre said communications products were a collective process involving the White House communications team, senior advisers and, when appropriate, agency or medical officials.

On her upcoming book, Jean‑Pierre told the committee the manuscript will address the "three weeks" leading to the president's decision to stop his reelection bid and said she would not preview detailed material beyond what she had said publicly in interviews and at the podium. She also described her departure from the Democratic Party as a deliberate choice to operate "outside the two‑party system" and to have an independent voice.

The interview incorporated documentary exhibits and public memos, including a supplemental memo by White House physician Kevin O'Connor about a neurologist's visits. Jean‑Pierre said she learned details of the neurologist visits largely from press coverage and subsequent memos rather than from direct participation in clinical consultations.

The exchanges will be followed by further committee questioning and document requests as investigators pursue the timeline and decisionmaking the witness described.