Andrew Bates Denies White House Inner Circle Abused Loyalty, Discusses Biden's Health
Forbes Breaking NewsDecember 7, 20258 min12,793 views
7 connectionsΒ·7 entities in this videoβRole in White House Communications
- π Andrew Bates stated he did not provide President Biden with note cards or scripts for public events or television interviews.
- π‘ He confirmed that preparing memos with journalist bios and likely topics was standard practice in his White House role, similar to other political workplaces.
- π« Bates was not involved with teleprompters but did offer suggestions for speeches, such as including positive economic studies or flagging criticisms of proposals.
- ποΈ He clarified that he did not attend any cabinet meetings during his tenure.
Response to Allegations of Loyalty Abuse
- β When asked if Biden's inner circle took advantage of his loyalty, Bates responded with a definitive "No."
- π° This question arose in the context of reports, including a Wall Street Journal article, discussing President Biden's alleged mental decline and White House staff covering up the truth.
- π€ The reports suggested that the press team, with limited direct access to the President, relied on senior staff for information and that Bates and others might have been told to deny things they knew to be true.
Knowledge of President Biden's Health and Medical Care
- β Bates denied involvement in preparations for the 2024 State of the Union address and had no knowledge of any discussions about medically treating the president for the event.
- π©Ί He described interactions with President Biden's physician, Dr. Okconor, as intermittent and usually related to press developments, such as preparing briefing guidance for physical summaries or updating the press on Biden's COVID status.
- π« Bates confirmed he was never present for medical consultations or treatments and did not discuss Biden's health with Dr. Okconor while withholding relevant information from the press.
- π He stated he had never heard of President Biden receiving amphetamines or seen him receive an IV infusion.
Neurologist Visits and Security Concerns
- π§ Bates was aware of reporting regarding neurologist Dr. Kevin Canard's visits but stated he only had knowledge of Canard seeing President Biden for physicals, and that thorough neurological workups were disclosed.
- π When asked about security reasons for not disclosing details of specialist visits, Bates cited the general practice of withholding information that foreign actors or others should not know, applying this to any specialist seeing the president.
- β He could not recall who told him this was the practice or if it was written down anywhere.
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Whatβs Discussed
Andrew BatesWhite House StaffPresident BidenLoyaltyInner CircleMental DeclinePress SecretaryState of the UnionPresidential HealthDr. OkconorNeurologistDr. Kevin CanardSecurity ConcernsWall Street Journal
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