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In a heated response, Joe Biden has accused Donald Trump of attempting to divert attention after the latter launched an investigation into Biden's cognitive health during his presidency. Trump claims Biden's advisers hid his cognitive decline and made decisions on his behalf, sparking backlash from the former president.

Issuing a statement to the media, Biden criticized the timing of Trump's move, which coincides with the advancement of significant legislation that has been widely contested for its major tax cuts and severe reductions in social spending. "This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and congressional Republicans who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families, all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations," Biden asserted.

Firmly defending his tenure, Biden emphasized, "Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency. I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false."

Trump's persistent attacks on Biden's mental and physical health have intensified, including promoting a conspiracy theory that Biden was replaced by a robot clone in 2020. Criticism has further escalated after a book by CNN anchor Jake Tapper detailed Biden's cognitive and physical decline as his presidency progressed, noting its escalation as the 2024 election approached. After a poor debate performance, Biden withdrew from the 2024 race, leading to Kamala Harris stepping in, who subsequently lost the election to Trump.

Trump directed an investigation into whether individuals misled the public about Biden's mental state and unlawfully exercised presidential powers. The inquiry focuses on Biden's use of the autopen, a mechanical device replicating signatures, a tool used for decades by U.S. presidents to sign executive actions. Trump condemned Biden's use of the autopen, calling it "one of the most dangerous and concerning scandals in American history."

This controversy emerges as Trump faces opposition to his One Big Beautiful Bill Act, an effort met with backlash, including from former ally Elon Musk. Musk has recently criticized the bill, describing it as a "disgusting abomination." The legislation proposes roughly $3.75 trillion in tax cuts, extends expiring individual income tax breaks from 2017, and introduces new tax cuts, such as eliminating taxes on tips. These cuts are partially offset by $1.3 trillion in reduced federal spending, notably affecting Medicaid and food assistance programs.

Analysis shows that these changes would result in 7.8 million people losing health insurance, including 5.2 million due to the new work requirements on non-disabled adults under the age of 65. Additionally, around 1.4 million individuals without legal status who use state-funded health programs would lose their coverage.

As the debate over the bill rages on, Biden's critique of Trump's tactics highlights deepening divisions in U.S. politics over policy and leadership.