Democratic operative David Hogg and ex-White House staffer Deterrian Jones just made jaw-dropping claims about the Biden administration’s inner workings. Their candid remarks, captured in a Project Veritas undercover video, are sparking heated debate over who actually held power during Joe Biden’s presidency.
According to Breitbart, Hogg alleged that Anthony Bernal, Jill Biden’s chief of staff and a longtime Democratic insider, exercised unchecked power behind the scenes. The video further suggests that Bernal’s influence often eclipsed that of President Biden himself, raising new questions about transparency and accountability at the highest levels of government.
Hogg’s claims are not isolated. The story quickly gained traction after ex-Biden staffer Deterrian Jones described Bernal as a “shadowy Wizard of Oz-type figure” who, despite being unknown to the general public, wielded “incredible power.” This narrative fits with broader suspicions that President Biden’s inner circle—rather than the president—was calling the shots as questions about his fitness for office mounted.
Hogg, currently vice chair of the Democratic National Committee, outlined how the president’s close advisors, rather than Biden himself, were managing the country’s affairs. He pointed to Bernal’s “enormous amount of power” and alluded to a White House where loyalty and proximity to Biden’s family outranked official titles or responsibilities.
Deterrian Jones, who worked with the Biden administration, reinforced Hogg’s assertions. He claimed that Bernal’s influence was an “open secret” in Washington. According to Jones, Bernal’s ability to shape policy and daily decisions placed him at the center of power, far from public scrutiny.
The Breitbart report also highlighted previous allegations of outside influence over Biden’s administration. In 2023, Tablet magazine reported that former President Barack Obama was quietly directing policy through a network of former staffers embedded in the White House. This pattern of alleged shadow governance has fueled speculation among conservatives and critics of the Democratic Party.
Anthony Bernal is no stranger to the political world, having served as a senior adviser to Jill Biden for years. Still, his name rarely surfaces in mainstream coverage, and most Americans would not recognize him if he walked down the street. The video’s depiction of Bernal as a “shadowy” figure has added to suspicions about the true power dynamics inside the Biden administration.
Breitbart included images of Bernal alongside both President Biden and the First Lady at public events, underscoring his proximity to the nation’s top leaders. But, according to Hogg and Jones, Bernal’s real work happened out of the spotlight through “hidden channels” of decision-making and influence. This revelation is sparking new calls for transparency from critics who say the American people deserve to know who is really making decisions in the White House.
Public reaction has been divided. Supporters of the Biden administration argue that close advisers are a normal part of any presidency. Critics, however, see the situation as evidence that Biden was not fit to govern and that unelected aides and family members stepped in to fill the leadership vacuum.
The claims about Bernal come on the heels of earlier reports that Barack Obama, not Joe Biden, was the key decision-maker during much of the Biden presidency. Tablet magazine’s 2023 exposé alleged that Obama maintained significant control through his former staffers, who now occupied influential posts in the administration. According to the narrative, the Biden White House became an extension of Obama’s political network.
Axios reporter Alex Thompson added fuel to the fire, telling MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” that Biden’s closest advisors—including Bernal, the First Lady, and others—were essentially “running the country.” Thompson pointed out that this inner circle had the most access to Biden, shaping his schedule and influencing key decisions.
While Democrats have dismissed these allegations as partisan attacks, conservatives argue that the evidence is mounting. The repeated appearance of names like Bernal, Donilon, Riccheti, and Reed in discussions of White House power only deepens skepticism about who was truly in charge.
The Project Veritas video has already triggered calls for further investigation into the Biden administration’s internal operations. Republicans and conservative watchdogs are demanding answers about how much authority unelected aides like Bernal exercised and whether this violated norms of democratic accountability.
Hogg’s remarks—particularly his admission that “the inner circle around Biden” was the real power—are being cited by critics as proof that Biden was a figurehead. Jones’s comparison of Bernal to the “Wizard of Oz” resonates on social media, fueling a narrative that the public was kept in the dark about who was really running the country. Deterrian Jones said, “He was scary. The general public wouldn’t know what he looked like, but he wielded incredible power.”
As the story continues to unfold, Democrats are scrambling to defend the administration’s decision-making process. However, with the 2024 election in the rearview and President Donald Trump back in office, these revelations are sure to fuel ongoing debate about transparency and the dangers of unelected power in Washington.
