Chicago voices featured in bombshell political book about President Biden
The Brief
Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's book "Original Sin" explores President Biden's alleged cognitive decline.
The book includes accounts from over 200 interviews, including Chicago figures like David Axelrod and Rep. Mike Quigley.
Key scenes depict aides shielding Biden's condition from the public, and even attacking reporters for looking into it.
CHICAGO - It's the most talked about political book of the year — "Original Sin" — about former President Joe Biden's decline, and the alleged efforts to hide his condition from the public.
What we know
Co-authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson were in Chicago on Thursday and spoke with FOX 32's Paris Schutz. Tapper and co-author Alex Thompson say they were shocked at what they learned from over 200 interviews with folks who had direct access to Biden.
There are several Chicago connections in the book — namely political guru David Axelrod publicly calling for Biden not to run again — and an observation from Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley, who was worried by what he saw when he interacted with Biden on a 2023 trip to Ireland.
"He notices that Joe Biden's son Hunter Biden seems to be trying to control his father's energy, saying, 'Hey, I thought you were gonna rest,'" said Thompson, political reporter with Axios.
"His dad had died of Parkinson's," Tapper said. "And he is watching Joe Biden behind the scenes and it reminds him very poignantly about his father's decline – both the way he would get energy, and the way the air would go out of the balloon."
Dig deeper
The book details the extent to which close Biden aides would shield his condition from the public, and even attack reporters for looking into it. In one of the book's pivotal scenes, actor George Clooney flies home from a film shoot overseas to host a major dollar fundraiser – only to have his jaw drop upon his encounter with Biden.
"They'd known each other for a while. Clooney had thrown major fundraisers for him for years. He is stunned. Joe Biden walks up to him with an aide at this fundraiser and he doesn't seem to recognize George Clooney, who he's known for many years, who is throwing him this fundraiser, and who is one of the most recognizable faces in the world."
The Source
FOX 32's Paris Schutz reported on this story.
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