A former senior Democratic National Committee insider recently confirmed earlier claims about who truly controlled the Biden White House, naming several powerful figures who rarely, if ever, appeared in the public eye.
Lindy Li, once a top Democratic donor before a highly publicized split with the party last year, revealed that it was no secret among progressives who was really pulling the strings as then-President Joe Biden, at 82, struggled to navigate the corridors of power.
Behind the scenes, a group of “puppet masters” worked to keep the White House functioning amid a leadership struggling to stay on course, she explained. “[Biden is] definitely complicit, but there were a lot of people behind him, like puppet masters. [Former first lady Jill Biden] very much knew what she was doing. What she did was absolutely elder abuse. There is no question in my mind,” Li told Fox News.
Last week, House Oversight Chair James Comer (R-KY) issued a subpoena to Anthony Bernal, the former first lady’s chief of staff, who was also named by ousted DNC co-chair David Hogg as wielding significant influence during the Biden-Harris administration. Comer has ordered Bernal to appear for an in-person deposition by July 16.
“They deny the cover-up, but I had a front-row seat watching it happen. People like Anthony Bernal. I saw him running the White House like he was in charge, like he was a king. It’s just so amazing now to see him dodge a subpoena and completely dodge accountability. He can run, but he can’t hide. His name is going to go down in infamy forever,” stated Li.
Bernal, who served as Biden’s deputy campaign manager in 2020, initially confirmed on June 26 that he would participate in a voluntary transcribed interview with Comer’s committee. However, he withdrew after the White House waived his executive privilege, exposing him to potential criminal liability if he were to lie under oath.
Li described Bernal as “following Jill around like a dog,” noting that their influence over the West Wing expanded as the first lady became more involved in her husband’s reelection campaign. The former party insider, who served on the Democratic Finance Committee and helped coordinate swing state fundraisers for President Biden during the 2024 election, also identified deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, counselor Steve Ricchetti, and senior advisors Anita Dunn and Mike Donilon as the “puppet masters” she accused of effectively running the White House behind the scenes.