Bidens inner circle has shrunk to these two men, sources say, with one likened to Rasputin

WASHINGTON — President Biden’s inner circle has gotten smaller following his disastrous debate last week — with his wife’s top aide Anthony Bernal emerging as one of the 81-year-old’s key advisers alongside longtime aide Mike Donilon, four sources close to or inside the White House tell The Post.Bernal, 51, is a divisive figure for allegedly bullying and sexually harassing colleagues — and his influence was likened by three sources to that held by the mystic Grigori Rasputin over the court of Nicholas II, the last czar of Russia.First lady Jill Biden considers Bernal her “work husband” and he’s also close to the 81-year-old president’s scandal-plagued son Hunter, whom Bernal greeted with a hug June 11 after his felony gun conviction.“Donilon and Bernal are 100% the most important advisers post-debate,” said one Democratic source close to the administration.“Bernal is the closest thing to Dr.B [Jill] so [Joe Biden] has a blind spot,” said a second source.

“And Mike has been with him the longest and has his voice.” Hunter Biden, 54, distrusts many of his father’s longtime aides and has been attending official meetings with his dad since the first son returned from Camp David on Monday.Donilon’s role as senior adviser includes writing Biden’s most important speeches and he has also been a constant presence following the June 27 CNN debate.Hunter and Jill Biden are among the most forceful advocates of Joe Biden continuing with his campaign for a second term, despite a groundswell of Democratic calls for him to step aside for fear of a blowout loss to former President Donald Trump on Nov.5.A White House source told The Post that many of the president’s old guard of longtime aides are believed to be left out of the loop of discussions “about what’s next” — saying Bernal, who frequently vacations with the first family, “seriously” has a Rasputin-like pull over the first family.Another source said they agreed with the Ra...