Ian Sams closed-door House interview on autopen and cognitive decline

Ian Sams arrived for a closed-door interview on Capitol Hill as part of the House Oversight Committee’s ongoing probe into the Biden administration’s use of the autopen and the broader question of whether signs of the president’s cognitive decline were being managed by aides. The session, conducted behind closed doors and expected to run several hours, adds to a sequence of testimonies from former senior aides as Republicans pursue what they describe as a possible coverup of important presidential decisions. Sams is the eleventh former Biden White House aide to appear, and the eighth to testify voluntarily.

Sams previously served as a senior adviser and spokesman for the White House Counsels Office, where his duties included responding to congressional probes and defending the administration against critics. He later became a prominent spokesman for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 campaign. In advance of his appearance, committee leadership highlighted his role as a key communicator who helped shape narratives around sensitive investigations. Sams declined to answer questions from reporters as he entered the Rayburn House Office Building, in line with the...