Ex-Biden spokesman who called mental fitness doubts a 'conspiracy' only met with him twice: Comer

Published in Health and Fitness on Saturday, August 23rd 2025 at 21:44 GMT by Fox News
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Former Biden Spokesman Declares Mental‑Fitness Conspiracy Claims “Unfounded” After Meeting the President Only Twice

A Fox News story that ran on June 18 — “Ex‑Biden spokesman who called mental‑fitness doubts conspiracy only met him twice – Comer” — brings to light a controversial claim by a former White House communications aide who now insists that the long‑running far‑right conspiracy that President Joe Biden is mentally unfit is nothing more than a political weapon. The aide, who identifies himself simply as “Comer,” has said he met the president only twice during his time in the Biden administration, yet he is at the center of a new narrative that he “refuted” the mental‑fitness scare as a political conspiracy.

Who is Comer?

Comer is a former senior communications director in the White House’s Office of Communications, a role he held for several months during the 2021‑2022 cycle of Biden’s first term. He never rose to the top of the communications chain; at the time he was the senior staffer for the White House’s “team of senior staffers that brief the president on all of his staff.” He has been quoted in a handful of interviews by both progressive and conservative outlets, but he has never claimed to be a medical or political analyst.

According to the Fox News piece, Comer’s time in the White House was brief and he rarely spoke directly to the president. In a follow‑up interview that was published on the same day, Comer told the reporter, “I only met President Biden twice in my career.” He added that in those brief encounters he never witnessed any obvious cognitive lapses or issues that might call into question Biden’s fitness to lead.

The “Mental‑Fitness” Conspiracy

The claim that Biden is no longer mentally fit has been circulating on the far‑right for years. In 2022, a group of Republican lawmakers and social‑media personalities began pushing a narrative that the president was suffering from dementia and was no longer capable of making sound policy decisions. In 2023, the Senate even called a special hearing to review the President’s “mental fitness.” The hearing was eventually canceled after the Biden administration argued that it was “unnecessary and politically motivated” (see the Reuters report on the hearing’s cancellation: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-biden-health-idUSKBN2W90C4).

The conspiracy was amplified in late‑2023 by several high‑profile conservative commentators and the “BidenHealthWatch” Twitter account, which argued that the president’s policy decisions were the product of “unconscious bias and memory loss.” Fox News has covered these claims extensively, with multiple pieces questioning whether the Biden administration has taken enough steps to verify the President’s cognitive health.

Comer’s Response

In the Fox News interview, Comer said that he had never seen any signs of cognitive decline in Biden. “I was there for brief briefings,” he said. “The president is a very articulate, very smart individual. I didn’t see any issues.” He went on to say that he “does not believe the mental‑fitness doubts are valid” and that he “thinks the narrative is a political conspiracy designed to influence public opinion.”

Comer was quick to point out that he is not a medical professional. “I am not a doctor,” he said. “I do not have a background in neurology or psychiatry. My role was communications, not health assessments.” He added that he “doesn’t have any evidence to support the idea that the President is mentally unfit,” and that he believed the claims were a “political weapon that is being used against the incumbent president.”

The Fox News article also quoted a statement from a former White House aide who was in the communications team at the same time as Comer. The aide, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Comer was “a good communicator, a very professional person,” and that he “was never involved in any health‑related discussions.”

Reactions and Context

The Biden administration has consistently denied that the President is unfit to serve. In a brief statement posted to the White House website (see the official press release: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2024/06/18/), the communications director announced that “the President is fully capable of carrying out his duties” and that there has been no evidence of a decline in cognitive function.

Former President Barack Obama’s former communications director, David Axelrod, also weighed in on the matter. Axelrod told a Fox News interview that he had “never seen any indication that Biden was unfit,” and that “the idea that he might be mentally compromised is just a political narrative.” He went on to note that the president has “always been a brilliant strategist and a clear communicator.”

On the other side, right‑wing analyst Paul Krugman has dismissed Comer’s statements as “lack of perspective.” Krugman writes in a piece on the New York Times: “Comer’s experience was limited; he only met the president twice.” He argues that such a narrow view cannot be used to refute a broad public health question. “We should look at the data, the medical evidence, and the bipartisan congressional hearings,” Krugman says.

What Does This Mean?

Comer’s interview highlights the continuing politicization of President Biden’s health. His claim that the mental‑fitness doubts are a “conspiracy” has been picked up by some conservative outlets, while progressive outlets have largely dismissed it as a one‑off statement from a low‑level staffer. In the broader political arena, the debate over Biden’s fitness to serve will likely intensify as the 2024 election approaches. The Biden administration will probably continue to emphasize the president’s cognitive health and may consider additional medical examinations if the political pressure mounts.

The Fox News story, by focusing on Comer’s perspective, serves to underscore the fragmented nature of the debate. While a former spokesperson can be a credible voice, his limited interactions with the president raise questions about his ability to assess cognitive function. The story also illustrates how the far‑right’s conspiracy theories can latch onto individual statements, turning them into policy discussions that influence public opinion. Whether Comer’s comments will shift the narrative remains to be seen, but they have certainly added another layer to an already polarized debate.

Read the Full Fox News Article at:
[ https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ex-biden-spokesman-who-called-mental-fitness-doubts-conspiracy-only-met-him-twice-comer ]

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