President Donald Trump has directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to open a formal investigation into whether the Biden administration attempted to conceal former President Joe Biden’s mental fitness while he was in office—a move that marks a sharp escalation in political tensions between the current and former administrations.

According to a statement from the White House, Trump instructed the Department of Justice, in coordination with White House Counsel, to examine “the circumstances surrounding Biden’s supposed execution of numerous executive actions during his final years in office.” The investigation would also include a review of Biden’s final pardons and executive decisions before leaving office.

The directive drew a swift and forceful response from Biden, who called the move “nothing more than a distraction.”

“Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,” Biden said in a written statement. “I made the decisions about the pardons, executive orders, legislation, and proclamations. Any suggestion that I didn’t is ridiculous and false.”

Biden went on to accuse Trump and Congressional Republicans of using the investigation as a political smokescreen. “This is nothing more than a distraction by Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans, who are working to push disastrous legislation that would cut essential programs like Medicaid and raise costs on American families—all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy and big corporations,” Biden said in a statement provided to ABC News.

The Justice Department has not yet issued a public comment on how it will proceed with the investigation or whether a special counsel will be appointed.

While Trump and his allies have increasingly questioned Biden’s cognitive abilities, this is the first time the White House has directed a formal investigation into the matter. The development adds yet another layer to the politically charged atmosphere in Washington as both men eye a potential rematch in the 2024 presidential election.