Topline
Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday demanded FBI Director Christopher Wray resign for telling a House committee he did not notice any cognitive decline in President Joe Biden, railing against the FBI leader he initially appointed as Republican lawmakers continue to grill Biden.
Former President Donald Trump demanded FBI Director Christopher Wray resign.
Key Facts
Trump called on Wray to “resign immediately” in a Truth Social post for allegedly “LYING TO CONGRESS” in a House Judiciary Committee meeting on Wednesday, claiming Biden had faced “Cognitive Degeneration.”
In that hearing, Wray was asked by hard-right Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., whether he noticed “cognitive decline” in Biden after conversations with the 81-year-old president, with Wray responding he does not meet with Biden “very often,” and he had not observed a pattern of cognitive decline in his interactions with the president.
Wray’s testimony largely focused on the assassination attempt against Trump less than two weeks ago.
Wray did not immediately respond to Forbes’ request for comment.
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Surprising Fact
Trump nominated Wray to lead the FBI in 2017 after controversially firing James Comey. Trump has clashed with the FBI since then, most notably after FBI agents executed a search warrant at Mar-A-Lago, leading to federal charges for allegedly mishandling classified documents. FBI directors serve 10-year terms, but Trump could theoretically fire Wray if he returns to office.
Tangent
Trump is the latest Republican to lash out against a federal official or member of the Biden administration since Sunday, when Biden dropped out of the 2024 race and endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris. On Tuesday, Rep. Andy Ogles, R-Tenn., introduced a resolution to impeach Harris over her handling of the southern border, an issue that has come to the forefront of the GOP agenda and which Biden tasked Harris with addressing at the beginning of his presidency—that attempt is likely to fail, with the Democratic-led Senate doubtful to convict after a House-led impeachment. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio—Trump’s newly named running mate—also called on Biden to “resign now” on Saturday, a day before Biden dropped out, arguing: “If you can’t run, you can’t serve.”
Key Background
While Biden—the oldest president in U.S. history—has faced questions on his age for the entirety of his presidency, those questions starkly intensified following his televised debate with Trump last month, when Biden appeared to lose his train of thought, speak with a hoarse voice and stumbled on his words. Although Biden blamed his poor performance at the debate on a cold and extensive travel and vowed for three weeks to keep running, those assurances were not enough to stop a growing list of Democrats, pundits and donors from calling on him to drop out of the race. Months earlier, age concerns had surfaced after Department of Justice Special Counsel Robert Hur said Biden could cast himself as an “elderly man with a poor memory,” noting Biden had forgotten several key dates in interviews with him. Facing mounting pressure, Biden announced on Sunday he would end his campaign. Several major Democrats—including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.—and some prominent donors have since endorsed Harris. Republicans, however, have railed against Harris, with Trump challenging Harris’ acquisition of Biden’s roughly $90 million campaign funds, though legal experts told Forbes the transition is legally sound.
Further Reading
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