Latest news with #ItsCover-UpandHisDisastrousChoicetoRunAgain
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘Original Sin' Outlines the Plot Against the American Voter
Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's deeply reported book, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, takes a sledgehammer to Joe Biden's legacy, already in grave disrepair. Claiming to have interviewed more than 200 sources around the 46th president, the CNN anchor and the Axios correspondent have written a necessary and deeply disturbing account of the Biden White House. For anyone interested in politics and Shakespearean tragedy, there's something on every page. For supporters of Biden's presidency and its considerable legislative achievements, this is an extremely grim read. Biden is both the most effective Democratic president since Lyndon Johnson and the man who helped usher Donald Trump back into the Oval Office by not stepping aside for a stronger candidate. The Biden presented in the book is both familiar and tragic, a King Lear on the Potomac with a Lady McBeth at his side in Jill Biden. The small cohort of longtime aides, dubbed the Politburo by insiders, protecting the president from the press, the American people and, it seems, reality, could be cast in a community theater version of The Death of Stalin. 'I blame his inner circle and I blame him,' one senior administration official told Tapper and Thompson after the election. 'What utter and total hubris not to step aside and be a one-term president, as he said he would, and have an open primary when there was time to let the process play out.' Hubris is a theme that runs throughout the book. Tapper and Thompson present compelling evidence for a plot to cover up for an octogenarian politician in steep physical and mental decline. It was an ineffective and inane effort, but the president's team, it seems, really did try to prop up a visibly aged man, who had carried decades of personal grief and was facing new family drama that would have broken most. There is an unforgettable eyewitness description of Biden as Mr. Burns from The Simpsons, all skin and bones, and short of breath. One can't help but wonder how Team Biden thought running for reelection was the best thing for the man, not to mention the country. It was malpractice and a scandal of the highest order. Given what's depicted in these pages, it's more than fair to ask: Who was leading America after 4:30 p.m., when, sources told Tapper and Thompson, the president's workday often ended after the early bird special? 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,' one person in the know told Tapper and Thompson. Most presidents delegate some authority, but this sounds almost like Woodrow Wilson-in-a-stupor-level stuff. One of the many questions that haunts the pages: How far back was Biden sliding into infirmity and no longer up to the task? Aging is a complicated process that differs for everyone. But family tragedy seems, understandably, to have played a role here. There is some evidence in the book that points to the death of Beau Biden, back in 2014, as an inflection point. 'Before Beau died, he was 100 percent sharper,' one senior Biden White House official told Tapper and Thompson. 'Beau's death wrecked him. Part of him died that never came back.' At the 2020 Democratic National Convention, signs were there as well, according to the book. One top Democrat described seeing videos of Biden and thinking, 'This was like watching Grandpa who shouldn't be driving.' But the real cliff seems to have been reached in 2022 or 2023, when Biden's shuffling and other physical effects of his age became pronounced and inescapable. Descriptions of a confused and forgetful Biden fill these pages. Most of the sources here seem to be folks sympathetic toward the president, but he comes off more addled and confused as his presidency continues. Time comes for us all, but not all of us have the responsibilities of the presidency. Understandably, the stress of his son Hunter Biden's scandal-ridden life seems also to have taken a toll on the president. One cabinet secretary described Hunter's trial for gun possession to Tapper and Thompson as a 'five-hundred-pound weight dropped on the president's head.' Joe Biden's story of personal loss — his first wife and infant daughter killed in a car crash, the death of Beau — has been one of the things that made him an empathic figure. No one could doubt he understood and felt pain; it was there on his face. For much of the last decade or more, Joe Biden has had to worry about losing a third child, first to drugs and then to the criminal justice system. The pressures Biden faced, on the job and in his home, would age any human being. The debacle of the 2024 presidential debate is traced in great detail. For this was the moment when the jig was up. America saw what had been kept hidden: a man long past his prime, but still inexplicably auditioning to retain the most important job in the world. It was undeniable and damning and not just a bad night. This was one of the most stunning moments in recent presidential history, when the scales fell from a nation's eyes. A high-powered Democratic operative described it to me as 'like watching someone die.' Tapper was a moderator and writes that the performance was even worse in person. At one point, after another horrific Biden gaffe ('Look, if… we finally beat Medicare'), Tapper's colleague Dana Bash passed him a note that read: 'He just lost the election.' Some who dared to speak the uncomfortable truths about Biden's condition are owed an apology for the backlash they faced. Congressman Dean Phillips, who rang the alarm and tried to run against Biden in a primary last year, only to be shut out and shunned by the party. Special Counsel Robert Hur, who declined to prosecute Biden for his mishandling of classified documents, and described the president as 'a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.' Hur's integrity was attacked by partisans on both sides of the aisle — simply for being honest and doing his duty. The figure looming off-camera for much of the book is Donald Trump, and part of the story here is how destructive the negative partisanship of the MAGA moment has become — the political equivalent of a toxic speedball of rage, fear, and resentment. The ends justify the means, the thinking goes. Trump was such a danger to democracy that any tactic necessary was needed to keep him out of office. When reporters or public officials like Phillips and Hur brought up Biden's age, they were set upon in, well, Trumpian style. Team Biden's playbook: Deny, deflect, and attack. But deceiving the American people about a candidate's health and mental acuity was sure to backfire. They were asking the American voter to believe the White House, not their own lying eyes, about a man deteriorating before them. (Biden's stage IV cancer diagnosis, announced the day before Original Sin was released, only raises more questions and eyebrows.) If a candidate other than Trump had been running, would they have really tried such an outrageous ploy? At least in part, Biden seems to have convinced himself that only he could beat Trump and thus was not ready to honor his campaign pledge to be a 'bridge' to the next generation and pass the torch. Gov. Jerry Brown may have said it best, when reflecting on Biden's decision to stick around: 'Politics is addictive. It's exciting. It's a kind of psychic cocaine.' History will judge Biden's long-term impact, and Original Sin is but the first draft. His role in the Senate, as vice president, and as president will be chewed over for decades to come. There's a lot there, much of it very good, some bad, and more than a little bit ugly. He's been one of the most consequential politicians of his era. His achievements are real and profound. But this last chapter was brutal, unfortunate, and entirely preventable. More from Rolling Stone Jasmine Crockett: 'It's Time for Republicans to Question Trump's Mental Acuity' Mike Johnson Insists It's 'Moral' to Throw People Off Medicaid Trump's Crypto Grift Is the Latest Corruption Mike Johnson Says He's Too 'Busy' to Care About Best of Rolling Stone The Useful Idiots New Guide to the Most Stoned Moments of the 2020 Presidential Campaign Anatomy of a Fake News Scandal The Radical Crusade of Mike Pence
New York Post
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
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. logoboom – '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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First Post
14-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
Did Joe Biden need a wheelchair? Was he unable to recognise George Clooney? 5 shocking revelations in new book
A soon-to-be-released book has made some startling revelations on Joe Biden's health during the second half of his presidency, exposing how closely White House aides worked to hide the octogenarian's deterioration from the public. The book is authored by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, based on inputs from over 200 interviews, mostly with top Democratic insiders read more Advertisement The book Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again' exposed how closely White House aides worked to conceal his deterioration from the public. File image/AP A soon-to-be-released book is lifting the lid on what really went on behind closed doors during the second half of Joe Biden's presidency, exposing how closely White House aides worked to conceal his deterioration from the public. The book titled 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again' reveals that senior White House officials quietly debated putting the president in a wheelchair, took extraordinary measures to prevent the 82-year-old from stumbling, and even kept the full extent of his deterioration hidden from some of his own staff. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Written by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, the book draws on over 200 interviews, mostly with top Democratic insiders, conducted after the 2024 election. It is slated to release on May 20. Here's what they found. Biden's aides were considering putting him in a wheelchair In the second half of Joe Biden 's presidency, his aides were so alarmed by his physical decline that they quietly discussed whether he should be placed in a wheelchair, according to the book. Concerns over his halting walk and the risk of a public fall led some staffers to believe that, had he secured a second term, a wheelchair might eventually be necessary. Biden's personal doctor, Dr Kevin O'Connor, also raised red flags behind the scenes. As reported by Tapper and Thompson, O'Connor privately cautioned that if the president were to suffer a serious fall in 2023 or 2024, 'a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery.' However, during the 2024 re-election campaign, the idea was ultimately dismissed, largely because it would not have sent a good message to voters. Biden once didn't recognise George Clooney One of the most striking examples of Joe Biden's decline came backstage at a 2024 fundraiser, when the president, who had arrived at the event after a gruelling three-day trip to Italy for the G7 summit, was greeted by none other than Hollywood icon George Clooney. But instead of lighting up at the sight of the actor, Biden seemed confused. The president looked 'severely diminished, as if he'd aged a decade since Clooney last saw him in December 2022,' write authors Tapper and Thompson. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD An aide gently prompted him: 'You know George.' 'Yeah, yeah,' Biden replied vaguely. 'Thank you for being here.' 'It seemed clear that the President had not recognised Clooney," the authors add. In this photo posted to George Clooney, President Joe Biden, Julia Roberts, and former President Barack Obama pose for a photo following a fundraiser in Los Angeles. X This incident, they say, became one of the clearest signs of Biden's physical and cognitive decline in the final stretch of his presidency. The book also mentions that Biden often forgot the names of his longtime allies and aides, including Mike Donilon, a loyal aide who had worked for him since the early 1980s, Jake Sullivan, his national security adviser, and Kate Bedingfield, the White House communications director. Biden 'totally f**ed' Harris' campaign David Plouffe, former senior adviser to President Barack Obama, didn't hold back when speaking about the chaos that surrounded Joe Biden's decision to run for re-election. In Original Sin, Plouffe is quoted as saying that Biden 'totally f***ed' Vice President Kamala Harris' shot at the White House by refusing to step aside sooner. Former US Vice President Kamala Harris looks at former US President Joe Biden during a campaign event, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. File photo/Reuters Calling the 107-day sprint against Donald Trump a 'f***king nightmare,' Plouffe squarely blamed Biden for the turmoil. 'It's all Biden,' he told the authors. 'He totally f**ked us.' Plouffe revealed that he had repeatedly raised concerns about Biden's mental and physical fitness, only to be told each time that the president was still capable of winning another term. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Team made plans to help Biden avoid a fall In the later years of Joe Biden's presidency, his team quietly put in place a series of precautions to avoid a fall. According to the book, aides grew increasingly worried about the president tripping or stumbling during appearances. To minimise the risk, Biden was encouraged to wear trainers more frequently for added stability. Handrails were installed on stages with steps, and staff members meticulously planned shorter walking routes to keep his movements brief and controlled. In the later years of Joe Biden's presidency, his team quietly put in place a series of precautions to avoid a fall. According to the book, aides grew increasingly worried about the president tripping or stumbling during appearances. AFP They also stood close by during walks, ready to step in if he faltered, and gave him detailed visual briefings before events to ensure he knew exactly where and how to move. 'It wasn't a straight line of decline; he had good days and bad,' the book notes. 'But until the last day of his presidency, Biden and those in his innermost circle refused to admit the reality that his energy, cognitive skills, and communication capacity had faltered significantly. Even worse, through various means, they tried to hide it.' Jill Biden shut down criticism on Biden's health As Joe Biden's physical and mental decline became harder to ignore in the second half of his presidency, his inner circle grew tighter—and none tighter than the First Lady herself. Jill Biden, a staunch defender of her husband, increasingly took part in decision-making as concerns mounted about the president's age and capability, according to the book. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD US President Joe Biden and first lady Dr Jill Biden depart board the helicopter to take them from the East Front of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC after the swearing-in of President Donald Trump on January 20, 2025. File Image/Reuters Much of the book's sharpest criticism, after Biden himself, is reserved for his wife's closest aide, Anthony Bernal. The authors describe Bernal as a gatekeeper who could instantly shut down any conversation around Biden's declining health simply by warning, 'Jill isn't going to like this.' In one revealing moment from 2022, the First Lady reportedly regretted staying silent when a donor suggested that Biden shouldn't run for a second term. 'I can't believe I didn't defend Joe,' she told aides afterwards, vowing not to make the same mistake again, according to the New York Times' account of the book. _ With input from agencies_
Hindustan Times
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Health decline to wheelchair use: 10 bombshell claims about Joe Biden in new book
With the 2024 election cycle still fresh in political memory, CNN journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's new book pulls back the curtain on the ageing president Joe Biden's final days in power and a party in crisis Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again hits shelves on 20 May, but early revelations already exposed how far senior White House aides went to shield Biden's health decline from the public. Based on over 200 interviews, largely with Democratic insiders, the book lays bare the backstage chaos and desperate attempts to keep Biden's re-election campaign alive. ALSO READ| Jake Tapper exposes Joe Biden aides' secret plan to put him in wheelchair for potential second term ALSO READ| Trump to continue Biden's court defense of abortion drug mifepristone
