White House Counselor Alina Habba says she has discovered the "fake Oval Office" that Joe Biden was rumored to have used during his presidency. Biden faced criticism for a specially designed replica White House set, which was built for virtual meetings and public appearances.
The setup sparked conspiracy theories suggesting his health was declining and being covered up. Habba, a prominent legal supporter of Donald Trump, shared a video on social media claiming to have found the room where it all took place. "You guys, I just finished a show. Look at the room that they put me in," Habba says of a room with the logo of The White House.
Inside Biden's Secret Room
She continued: "We're in Biden's fake Oval Office, everybody." Habba then pans the camera around the room, revealing a teleprompter, a golden chair, a table, multiple television screens, and various lighting fixtures.
"I now know why, I now get it," Habba adds. "There is a screen, teleprompter to the face."
She added: "All I can say is the last administration was a disgratz," using what appeared to be an attempt at Italian slang.
It remains unclear whether the set was the exact one Biden used inside the South Court Auditorium at the Old Executive Office Building.
Biden reportedly used the replica set on multiple occasions, including during a "Build Back Better" event where a fake window displayed blooming flowers in the Rose Garden—despite the actual Rose Garden being nearby, south of the White House.
The set features professional lighting and large computer screens, which Biden used for a virtual meeting with world leaders during the UN General Assembly. Although he attended the event in person in New York, he later returned to Washington and used the setup for the meeting.
He also used the room when receiving his Covid-19 booster shot. The setup, typically comprises flags, small desks, and digital window displays of the White House, has been widely mocked online by Biden's critics, who question why he didn't simply use the real White House.
At the time, many speculated that the artificial setting was meant to cover up Biden's declining health—a concern that was ultimately confirmed during the June 2024 debate, which led the then-81-year-old president to withdraw from his re-election bid.
Reason Behind the Secrecy
In the months since, more details have surfaced from insiders about what was kept hidden from the public. In late February, a former Biden administration official accused colleagues of "gaslighting" both journalists and voters by downplaying the truth about the president's aging and frailty.
Since then, blame and infighting have spread among Democrats, with many asking what might have happened if Biden had stepped down earlier, giving Kamala Harris or another candidate more time to campaign against Republican nominee Donald Trump.
Michael LaRosa, former press secretary for Jill Biden, argued that much of the responsibility falls on officials who dismissed concerns about Biden's age. He also described how those within the administration were fearful of allowing an increasingly error-prone president to face the press.
White House officials aggressively pushed back against reporters who raised concerns about Biden's age, effectively discouraging many media outlets from covering the issue.
However, the subject became unavoidable after Biden's disastrous debate with Trump last June. During the event, the president repeatedly lost his train of thought and stood in awkward silence, even catching his opponent off guard.
