U.S. Senator Josh Hawley has stirred significant controversy with a provocative claim that former President Joe Biden would allegedly “get lost in his own closet” during his time at the White House — an anecdote Hawley attributes to an unnamed Secret Service agent.
In an interview on Fox News, the Republican senator stated:
“He [a Secret Service member] told me that Biden used to get lost in his closet in the mornings in the White House… literally stumbling around… couldn’t find his way out.”
While no evidence has been publicly presented to verify this anecdote, it has amplified ongoing Republican-led investigations into Biden’s mental acuity and executive decision-making during his presidency. Hawley called it “outrageous” and accused the administration of misleading the public.
These allegations come as House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer continues probing whether Biden's staff may have authorized critical executive actions — including presidential pardons — using an autopen, bypassing direct presidential approval. Comer is also scrutinizing Dr. Kevin O’Connor, Biden’s White House physician, questioning the transparency of Biden’s medical reports during his tenure.
Fueling further scrutiny, Biden recently disclosed that he is battling an aggressive form of prostate cancer. The late announcement has led to renewed concerns over whether the disease had been undiagnosed or concealed while he was in office.
In response, Donald Trump, now president again following his 2024 election victory, remarked:
“I'm surprised that the public wasn't notified a long time ago, because to get to stage 9, that's a long time” — a statement that notably misstated the cancer staging system, which typically ends at stage 4.
Biden, the oldest president in U.S. history, had ended his re-election campaign in July 2024 after a poor debate performance against Trump eroded party confidence. Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in as the Democratic nominee but lost to Trump in the November 2024 election.
While the White House under Biden has consistently asserted that he remained fully in control, these latest comments by Hawley — coupled with ongoing investigations — continue to cast a long shadow over the final year of Biden’s presidency.
