Jake Tapper Compares Joe Biden Health 'Cover-Up' to Watergate
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The author of a bombshell book laying bare former President Joe Biden's alleged declining mental faculties during his presidency says the scandal "may be even worse than Watergate."
CNN journalist Jake Tapper made the claims during an appearance on Piers Morgan Uncensored, which was broadcast on YouTube on Monday.
Tapper was appearing with his co-author Alex Thompson to promote their book Original Sin, in which several named insiders claim the former U.S. president was faltering physically and cognitively in a decline that was hidden from the American public.
Newsweek reached out to representatives for Biden via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Biden stepped aside on the presidential campaign trail last year amid fears for his health and cognitive abilities, which left Vice President Kamala Harris at the top of the Democratic ticket.
She later lost to Donald Trump, and some Democrats were furious at the bungled campaign, accusing Biden of damaging the party's chances by hanging on too long to power.
Now, the book by Tapper and Thompson, which has shot to the top of the bestseller charts, suggests that senior members of Biden's administration were aware of his fragile health for some time before he stepped down.
Then-President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on April 1, 2022.
Then-President Joe Biden speaks at the White House on April 1, 2022.What To Know
Biden, 81, repeatedly insisted he was fit to serve a second term, despite regular barbs about his age from his rival, Trump, who was only marginally younger at 78. Trump described Biden as "cognitively impaired" in September 2023 and during the 2024 race pointed to a number of gaffes the then-president had made, such as falls, apparent confusion, and rambling speeches.
The growing scandal about Biden's health was exacerbated when it emerged earlier this month that Biden is battling an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer.
Some doctors suggested Biden and his team must have known about the cancer diagnosis before he left office. Howard Forman, a professor of radiology and biomedical imaging at the Yale School of Medicine, said it was "inconceivable" that Biden's cancer had not been discovered while he was in the White House.
During his interview with Piers Morgan, Tapper compared the scale of the events to Watergate, the scandal that engulfed former President Richard Nixon in the 1970s. Nixon had denied any connection to a break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters in the Watergate Hotel in 1972, and the resulting cover-up eventually led to his resignation in 1974.
Morgan questioned Tapper about the book's conclusion, and read aloud a passage stating: "Joe Biden is not Richard Nixon, and the hiding and cover-up of his deterioration is not Watergate."
Morgan mused that he wasn't "entirely sure" he agreed with that sentiment.
Tapper replied: "The next line is: 'It is an entirely separate scandal.' It is a scandal. It is, without question. And maybe even worse than Watergate in some ways, because Richard Nixon was in control of his faculties when he was not drinking. So the idea that, yeah, we don't mean to exonerate [Biden]."
He also noted that the mention of Watergate followed an excerpt in the book in which former Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox had explained "how presidents get surrounded by people who have a vested interest in keeping that president propped up."
Tapper also responded to claims that the media had a role to play. "In retrospect, of course, I wish my coverage had been better on this subject," he said.
Then-President Joe Biden is helped to his feet after falling during the graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado on June 1, 2023.
Then-President Joe Biden is helped to his feet after falling during the graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado on June 1, 2023.
BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Image
What People Are Saying
Former President Joe Biden said on ABC's The View this month that he would have won if he'd stayed in the 2024 presidential race: "I was confident I would beat Trump. He's a loser."
Biden shared a photo of himself with his wife Jill Biden on X (formerly Twitter) after his cancer diagnosis:"Cancer touches us all. Like so many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places. Thank you for lifting us up with love and support."
What Happens Next
The political fallout over Biden's health will rumble on as the authors continue to promote their book and the Democrats turn inward to review the past and look for mistakes or even wrongdoing. The Republican Party, with Trump at its helm, will be hoping to make much political capital from the allegations.
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