Jake Tapper's bombshell book on Biden mental decline could be made into a movie
A high-stakes bidding war is brewing in Hollywood over the rights to the upcoming political exposé by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson detailing the decline of Joe Biden, according to a report.
With the release set for May 20, Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor — representing Tapper and Thompson respectively — have begun quietly circulating the manuscript to select producers, according to the Status newsletter.
But while the talent agencies angle to sell the screen rights, the book's explosive claims and the timing of its release are drawing fierce criticism against the authors and other journalists for failing to aggressively cover the evident signs of Biden's deterioration.
4 Then-President Joe Biden and then-First Lady Jill Biden talk to CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash following a debate on June 27.
Getty Images
The book, 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' paints a bleak picture of Biden's final years in office.
The authors wrote in the book that senior White House aides seriously considered placing Biden in a wheelchair, took deliberate steps to prevent him from falling in public and actively concealed the extent of his decline from even his own staff.
Aides reportedly outfitted Biden with sneakers, arranged pre-event briefings and mapped out shorter walking routes to minimize the risk of public stumbles, according to the book.
His physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, privately warned that a serious fall could leave Biden wheelchair-bound and quipped that while staff were 'trying to kill him,' he was 'trying to keep him alive.'
One excerpt from the book described how Biden failed to recognize Hollywood icon George Clooney at a Los Angeles fundraiser last year.
The book is based on over 200 interviews, many with top Democratic insiders.
4 Tapper is co-author of 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.'
Penguin Press
'We attempted to shield him from his own staff so many people didn't realize the extent of the decline beginning in 2023,' one aide admitted, according to the book.
Early excerpts published Tuesday in Axios and The New Yorker helped propel the book to No. 4 on Amazon's bestseller list.
But along with buzz has come backlash. Critics accuse Tapper and Thompson of cashing in on Biden's struggles for personal gain while also helping the administration cover up the then-president's condition.
The backlash against Tapper has been especially fierce.
Social media users labeled him a 'hypocrite' for profiting off Biden's decline after years of defending the president publicly.
4 The book details the lengths to which Biden aides went to conceal his condition.
REUTERS
'Jake Tapper covered Biden's ass the entire time. And is now running to the other side and throwing his reporter hat on,' one critic wrote.
Another added, 'Tapper smeared and attacked people who brought up Biden's decline, including Democrats.'
Fox News hosts John Roberts and Joe Concha also slammed Tapper, accusing him and other liberal media figures of 'tying themselves in knots' to shield Biden from scrutiny.
4 Talent agencies Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor — representing Tapper and Alex Thompson respectively — have begun quietly circulating the manuscript to select producers, according to a report.
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'It is just patently insulting that Jake Tapper is trying to rewrite history while lining his own pockets in the process,' Concha said.
Tapper addressed the criticism during a broadcast of his CNN show 'The Lead' earlier this year, telling his viewers: 'I've been covering the concerns about President Biden's age and health for years. I literally asked him about it in October 2022, and we've challenged Democrats and White House officials about it.'
Tapper said that he and Thompson 'have spent the last several months talking to more than 200 insiders, officials, and donors — people who were more willing to talk post-election — to explain the last couple of years in politics and how we, as a country, got here.'
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Democratic states double down on laws resisting Trump's immigration crackdown
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Trump also has lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools , churches and hospitals, and ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials believed to be interfering with his crackdown on illegal immigration. The Department of Justice sued Colorado, Illinois and New York, as well as several cities in those states and New Jersey , alleging their policies violate the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws. Just three weeks after Colorado was sued, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a wide-ranging law expanding the state's protections for immigrants. Among other things, it bars jails from delaying the release of inmates for immigration enforcement and allows penalties of up to $50,000 for public schools, colleges, libraries, child care centers and health care facilities that collect information about people's immigration status, with some exceptions. 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Legislation supporting immigrants takes a variety of forms Democratic-led states are pursuing a wide range of means to protect immigrants. A new Oregon law bars landlords from inquiring about the immigration status of tenants or applicants. New laws in Washington declare it unprofessional conduct for bail bond agents to enforce civil immigration warrants, prohibit employers from using immigration status to threaten workers and let employees use paid sick leave to attend immigration proceedings for themselves or family members. Vermont last month repealed a state law that let law enforcement agencies enter into immigration enforcement agreements with federal authorities during state or national emergencies. They now need special permission from the governor to do so. As passed by the House, Maryland legislation also would have barred local governments from reaching immigration enforcement agreements with the federal government. That provision was removed in the Senate following pushback from some of the seven Maryland counties that currently have agreements. The final version, which took effect as law at the start of June, forbids public schools and libraries from granting federal immigration authorities access to nonpublic areas without a judicial warrant or 'exigent circumstances.' Maryland Del. Nicole Williams said residents' concerns about Trump's immigration policies prompted her to sponsor the legislation. 'We believe that diversity is our strength, and our role as elected officials is to make sure that all of the residents within our community — regardless of their background — feel safe and comfortable,' Williams said. 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The other two ballistic missiles did not reach their targets, it added. The strikes also hit Chernihiv, near the border with Belarus, which was rocked by 14 explosions from drones and ballistic missiles, including cruise missiles and Iskander-M missiles, local officials said. Five others were wounded in strikes in the northwestern city of Lutsk, near the border with Poland. Footage geolocated by CNN showed at least four missiles slamming into the city, kicking up fiery explosions on impact. The Russian Ministry of Defense said it had also intercepted and destroyed 174 Ukrainian drones from Thursday evening to early Friday morning and had destroyed three Ukrainian Neptune-MD guided missiles over the Black Sea. All week, Ukrainians have been bracing for Russia's retaliation to last weekend's drone attack, which struck 34% of Moscow's nuclear-capable bombers stationed at airfields as far away as Siberia. 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'Sometimes you see two young children fighting like crazy,' Trump said in the Oval Office, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz looked on silently. 'They hate each other, and they're fighting in a park, and you try and pull them apart. They don't want to be pulled. Sometimes you're better off letting them fight for a while and then pulling them apart.'
