Recently uncovered note cards from the Biden-Harris administration show that then-President Joe Biden was provided with detailed reminders, including names, photos, and short biographies of prominent individuals, to reference during public events.
The documents, obtained by Fox News Digital, were found during an investigation into the Biden-Harris administration’s use of an autopen.
Five palm cards, hand-sized notes often used by politicians for quick reminders, were reviewed.
BIDEN’S BACKSTAGE GUIDE: Unearthed note cards from the Biden era show the administration detailed for President Biden the names and photos of high-profile Democrats, such as Hillary Clinton, documents obtained by FOX News Digital show. pic.twitter.com/ZpFmg9xdak
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 30, 2025
Four were marked with the disclaimer “PRESIDENT HAS SEEN,” while a fifth card listing a reporter’s question did not contain that stamp.
It remains unclear whether Biden relied on each of the cards at the events.
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One card was titled “Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients” and included photographs and notes about award recipients in the final days of Biden’s term.
Among those featured was former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, described as having served in the Obama-Biden administration.
Look, I can see needing a notecard for the family of politicians, you don’t see the spouse and kids much and the kids change fast. But needing a portrait of Hillary Clinton to put a name to the face is a sign that things have gone off the rails
— The Narnian Apologist (@NarniaApologist) September 30, 2025
The same card included actor Denzel Washington, identified as an actor, director, and producer, with a citation from the New York Times calling him “one of the greatest actors of the 21st century.”
Other honorees listed included chef José Andrés and businessman and philanthropist David Rubenstein.
Another card, titled “Judicial Confirmations Milestone Speech,” contained photographs of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin, along with their official titles and states.
EXCLUSIVE — Fox News obtained unearthed Biden note cards.
The docs show Biden was briefed with cue cards containing photos and bios of top Democrats — including Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer. pic.twitter.com/POzh9s7Qll
— Will Ricciardella (@WillRicci) September 30, 2025
Biden had celebrated the confirmation of 235 judicial nominees in January with Schumer and Durbin at the White House.
Both senators also held additional events highlighting the administration’s judicial confirmations earlier in Biden’s presidency.
A separate palm card listed family members of Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola ahead of the 47th Kennedy Center Honors in December 2024.
Another, dated “Saturday, January 18 Greets,” featured Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, and a section labeled “Pritzker Family.”
It included Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, his wife, and children, with accompanying photographs. That card also carried the “PRESIDENT HAS SEEN” stamp.
The fifth palm card showed a question from ABC News reporter Mary Bruce, labeled “Question #3.”
It’s so weird how these several incidents were just somehow left out of @AlexThomp and @jaketapper book.
Not mentioned once. pic.twitter.com/tOXBgMU26O
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) September 30, 2025
The card included a written outline of a potential question about the debt ceiling and Biden’s place in history.
At an April 26, 2023, press conference with the South Korean president, Bruce did in fact ask Biden about his re-election effort, referencing polling data showing widespread concern about his candidacy.
Biden’s use of such materials has been noted on multiple occasions.
During the same 2023 press conference, Fox News Digital reported that Biden held another card with the name and photograph of Los Angeles Times journalist Courtney Subramanian, marked “Question #1.”
He also used similar cards during a joint press conference with the Australian prime minister in October 2023 and during his first formal press conference in March 2021, where he carried talking points and a list of preselected reporters.
A former Biden staffer told Fox Digital that including photos and details of attendees or reporters in briefing packets was “standard operating procedure.”
The staffer defended the practice, asking, “Should the staff not have told the President that Chuck Schumer was attending?”
Politicians often rely on palm cards while campaigning, but Biden’s use of the notes as president fueled questions about his health.
Axios reported in 2024 that donors were unsettled by his reliance on such aides, adding to concerns over his mental acuity.
Those concerns escalated following Biden’s performance in a debate against President Donald Trump, which contributed to Biden ultimately ending his campaign.
The Biden White House faced additional scrutiny for its use of an autopen to sign official documents, including clemency orders and executive orders.
President Trump ordered an investigation in June into the extent of the autopen’s use, questioning whether Biden himself approved all actions signed under his name.
When asked about Biden’s reliance on palm cards, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers contrasted Biden’s approach with Trump’s.
“President Trump gives unfettered access to the media and answers every question imaginable, without pre-screening the press questions or collecting reporters’ palm cards ahead of time like his incompetent predecessor,” Rogers told Fox News Digital.
“Unlike Joe Biden, President Trump is actually running our country, and he doesn’t ever shy away from taking on the fake news to deliver the truth.”
A senior press official added that the current White House does not prepare palm cards for reporters or request journalists’ questions in advance.
The documents provide a new look into the inner workings of the Biden-Harris administration and highlight the measures staff used to prepare Biden for public appearances during his presidency.
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