DOJ Official Suggests Criminal Charges for Jill Biden

A senior official at the Department of Justice has publicly suggested that First Lady Jill Biden should face criminal charges for allegedly concealing the extent of President Joe Biden’s health issues during his 2024 re-election campaign.

The claim, made publicly by DOJ attorney Leo Terrell, has since been picked up by a chorus of Republican lawmakers and conservative pundits, fueling a broader debate over where support ends and accountability begins, especially when it involves the health of a sitting president.

Allegations from DOJ Official Leo Terrell and GOP Allies

Shortly after President Biden publicly disclosed his diagnosis of stage five metastatic prostate cancer, Leo Terrell, who serves as senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, took to social media to voice serious concerns. Terrell, also known for his appearances as a Fox News legal analyst, posted:

"Elder Abuse! Criminal Charges??"

The post responded to commentary implying that Jill Biden had long known about the President's declining health but encouraged him to remain in the race regardless.

Terrell’s remarks did not stand alone. Florida State Representative Randy Fine also called for the arrest of Jill Biden, characterizing her actions as a form of elder abuse for permitting the President to continue his campaign despite indications of cognitive and physical deterioration.

Harriet Hageman, Wyoming Representative, denounced the First Lady’s decision to support her husband’s participation in televised debates, calling the act irresponsible and exploitative.

Public and Political Reactions to the Accusations

Donald Trump Jr. posted on X, questioning how Jill Biden could have overlooked such a serious illness:

“What I want to know is how did Dr. Jill Biden miss stage five metastatic cancer, or is this yet another coverup??”

Critics say voters had a right to know the full extent of President Biden’s health before the election, and some have accused the White House of withholding critical information.

The timeline of the diagnosis has also raised eyebrows among medical professionals. A few oncologists have questioned how such advanced cancer could have gone unnoticed, while others caution that late-stage prostate cancer can sometimes be difficult to detect until it has already spread.

Legal Perspectives: Unpacking the Elder Abuse Allegation

Under most U.S. state laws, elder abuse involves deliberate neglect, physical harm, emotional abuse, or financial exploitation of individuals 60 years or older by a caregiver or authority figure. Prosecutors would need substantial evidence to prove Jill Biden acted with willful intent to endanger her husband's wellbeing.

"Absent proof that Jill Biden knowingly put her husband at risk against medical advice or ignored dire warnings from his doctors, a criminal case would be very difficult to substantiate," said Lawrence Jacobs, professor of public policy and law at the University of Minnesota. "This veers more into the realm of political accusation than legal liability."

Ultimately, experts agree the accusations speak more to political theater than legal reality. But that hasn't prevented the allegations from becoming a potent talking point in the 2025 political landscape.

Response from the Biden Camp

The Biden administration has not released a formal statement addressing the public calls for criminal charges against First Lady Jill Biden. However, Michael LaRosa, who served as Jill Biden's press secretary during the early years of the Biden presidency, took to social media and cable news to respond to the growing allegations. He dismissed them as politically motivated attacks lacking in factual or legal basis. In a statement to MSNBC, LaRosa said:

"This is his decision. President Biden has always made his own calls. Jill supports him, but she doesn't make those decisions for him."

LaRosa emphasized that throughout their decades in public life, the Biden's have operated as a mutual partnership, with Jill offering emotional and logistical support but never usurping her husband's autonomy. According to those familiar with their dynamic, the First Lady's involvement in his campaign was driven by devotion and shared belief in public service, not a self-serving agenda.

Political Theater or Serious Allegation?

Despite dominating headlines in conservative circles, the push for criminal charges against Jill Biden has gained little traction among legal experts. No formal investigation has been launched, and most analysts agree the claims fall well short of prosecutable evidence. Still, the controversy taps into larger questions about how much the public deserves to know about a president’s health and the role a spouse plays in that equation.