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Sky News AU
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Here are the ‘politburo' members who were really running the Biden White House, according to ‘Original Sin' authors
A small, tight-knit group in former President Joe Biden's inner circle was running the White House like a 'politburo', and they were the 'ultimate decision-makers' as Biden's health and cognitive function continued to decline, according to the authors of a bombshell new book. This group, dubbed the 'politburo,' included a coterie of seasoned political veterans, including Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti and Bruce Reed — but also family members such as first lady Jill Biden and the president's son Hunter, the authors of 'Original Sin' claim. 'In terms of who was running the White House, it's a small group of people that have been around,' 'Original Sin' author Alex Thompson told PBS' 'Washington Week' on Friday. 'Some people within the administration called them the Politburo. That's the term we used in the book.' Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain was at times part of the 'politburo,' as was former senior adviser to the president Annie Tomasini. Also on the 'politburo' was the first lady's former top adviser and 'work husband,' Anthony Bernal, whom The Post previously reported created a toxic workplace environment. 'And Joe Biden himself also is part of this. Joe Biden is not like — it's not 'Weekend at Bernie's,' right?' said co-author and CNN anchor Jake Tapper, referring to the movie about a dead guy who is wheeled around as part of an elaborate ruse. 'He has some purchase here. He has some agency. And he's aware of some of what's going on.' Tapper added: 'He's aware of the fact that they are keeping the cabinet away from him, they are keeping some White House staffers away from him.' Usually, the term 'politburo' refers to the top echelon of a communist state. Many of the seasoned politicos had been around Joe Biden for decades. Regardless of official titles in his 2020 campaign and administration, the 'politburo' generally called the shots and got Biden to agree. 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,' one source familiar with the inner workings of the White House told the authors. An unidentified cabinet secretary vented about the Politburo, saying, 'I've never seen a situation like this before, with so few people having so much power. They would make huge economic decisions without calling [Treasury] Secretary Yellen.' The Politburo had been forceful in rejecting and diminishing concerns about the former president's age and mental acuity, according to the book. The advisers had generally seen 'concerns about Biden's age as simply a political vulnerability, not a serious limitation,' the book claims. They believed that Biden was achieving real policy victories, entitling him, and them, to a second term, according to the book. Former President Barack Obama had been leery about 'hangers-on' in Joe Biden's orbit, particularly on his 2020 campaign and stressed that 'I don't want him to be humiliated.' Alumni of the Obama administration also spotted key differences in how Joe Biden's presidency operated. 'Obama would hash it out with deputies and mid-level aides. Biden, by contrast, mostly met with the Politburo and his top national security aides,' the book said. 'Many of Biden's own aides were also kept at arm's length from the president.' The bombshell book explained that, irrespective of official titles, 'in practice, Bruce Reed was the real domestic policy adviser, Mike Donilon was the actual political director, Steve Ricchetti controlled Legislative Affairs, and Klain controlled a bit of everything.' Mike Donilon, senior adviser Donilon, who served as a senior adviser to Biden from the start of his presidency until January 2024 when he hopped over to the campaign, had been a close confidant of the former president since the 1980s. During his time on the 2024 campaign, he raked in a jaw-dropping $4 million salary, according to 'Original Sin.' Some outside observers, including Obama strategist David Axelrod, assessed that he was 'tied to Biden emotionally that he could not accept the truth.' Donilon, a former pollster and media consultant, was widely seen as a true believer in Biden who earned the former president's mutual trust. 'The president valued Mike Donilon's advice so much that aides would later joke that if he wanted, he could get Biden to start a war,' Thompson and Tapper wrote. Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president Ricchetti, who served as counselor to the president throughout Biden's time in the White House, served as the 46th president's chief of staff during the latter half of his vice presidency and worked on Biden's campaign. He also previously served as the White House deputy chief of staff for operations in the Clinton administration. During the Biden administration, Ricchetti played a key role in helping the former president steer through key legislative battles. At times, he would also weigh in on pressing political matters. At one point, Ricchetti personally called a reporter of an unnamed media outlet off the record to refute claims from multiple sources about Biden's health, according to the book. He also fumed after actor George Clooney penned a stunning op-ed urging Biden to drop out of the race. 'Ricchetti read it and was furious. Internally, he threatened to shut Clooney down—some of his colleagues thought he sounded like a mob boss,' the authors wrote. Bruce Reed, deputy chief of staff for policy Reed previously served as Biden's chief of staff during the first half of his vice presidency, prior to Ricchetti later taking over that post. He is also an alumnus of the Clinton administration. He was widely regarded as a 'policy wonk' and was among the advisers who helped prep Biden for his disastrous debate against President Trump. Ron Klain, ex-chief of staff As Biden's first chief of staff during his presidency, Klain was very influential and had sway over key decisions and messaging strategy — even after he left the White House, according to 'Original Sin.' Klain had been in Biden's orbit since the 1980s during the former president's Senate days. He also worked on the Clinton campaign in 2016. He officially exited the White House in February 2023, but still retained influence on the former president and helped him prepare for his disastrous debate against Trump last June. 'Biden showed a particular deference to Klain even though his chief of staff was often more progressive. Biden had deep respect for Klain's intellect. 'Only one person here is smarter than me and it'sRon,' aides heard him say,' the book claimed. Hunter Biden and Jill Biden Jill Biden had also been a key force in trying to shield her husband's faux pas from the public in what some have dubbed operation 'bubble wrap' and Hunter Biden was seen as a key force trying to prevent his father from dropping out of the 2024 race. In the earlier stages of the former president's political career, the first lady had been a 'reluctant political spouse,' but she had significant influence throughout his administration, admonishing staffers at times for letting him ramble on too long in front of the cameras. Hunter Biden had weighed heavily on his father during his second term, and some aides speculated it played a role in his decline. 'To understand Joe Biden's deterioration, top aides told us, one has to know Hunter's struggles,' the book said. 'Plum jobs' Many 'politburo' members also brought key friends and family into plum Biden administration roles. Donilon's niece landed a role on the National Security Council, according to the book. Reed's daughter was a day scheduler for the president and Ricchetti's children also found jobs across the government, 'Original Sin' reported. Top Biden allies have rejected many characterizations in the book, but Thompson explained that he 'had stopped believing their denials for a while' after he kept hearing evidence that countered White House narratives. 'Original Sin' hit bookshelves last Tuesday. Originally published as Here are the 'politburo' members who were really running the Biden White House, according to 'Original Sin' authors
New York Post
25-05-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Here are the members of the ‘politburo' who were really the Biden White House, according to ‘Original Sin' authors
A small, tight-knit group in former President Joe Biden's inner circle was running the White House like a 'politburo,' and they were the 'ultimate decision-makers' as Biden's health and cognitive function continued to decline, according to the authors of a bombshell new book. This group, dubbed the 'politburo,' included a coterie of seasoned political veterans, including Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti and Bruce Reed — but also family members such as first lady Jill Biden and the president's son Hunter, the authors of 'Original Sin' claim. 'In terms of who was running the White House, it's a small group of people that have been around,' 'Original Sin' author Alex Thompson told PBS' 'Washington Week' on Friday. 'Some people within the administration called them the Politburo. That's the term we used in the book.' Former White House chief of staff Ron Klain was at times part of the 'politburo,' as was former senior adviser to the president Annie Tomasini. Also on the 'politburo' was the first lady's former top adviser and 'work husband,' Anthony Bernal, whom The Post previously reported created a toxic workplace environment. 'And Joe Biden himself also is part of this. Joe Biden is not like — it's not 'Weekend at Bernie's,' right?' said co-author and CNN anchor Jake Tapper, referring to the movie about a dead guy who is wheeled around as part of an elaborate ruse. 4 Ron Klain had worked with former President Joe Biden for decades. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'He has some purchase here. He has some agency. And he's aware of some of what's going on.' Tapper added: 'He's aware of the fact that they are keeping the cabinet away from him, they are keeping some White House staffers away from him.' Usually, the term 'politburo' refers to the top echelon of a communist state. Many of the seasoned politicos had been around Joe Biden for decades. Regardless of official titles in his 2020 campaign and administration, the 'politburo' generally called the shots and got Biden to agree. 4 Bruce Reed's daughter became a day schedule for the president. Getty Images 'Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board,' one source familiar with the inner workings of the White House told the authors. An unidentified cabinet secretary vented about the Politburo, saying, 'I've never seen a situation like this before, with so few people having so much power. They would make huge economic decisions without calling [Treasury] Secretary Yellen.' The Politburo had been forceful in rejecting and diminishing concerns about the former president's age and mental acuity, according to the book. The advisers had generally seen 'concerns about Biden's age as simply a political vulnerability, not a serious limitation,' the book claims. They believed that Biden was achieving real policy victories, entitling him, and them, to a second term, according to the book. Former President Barack Obama had been leery about 'hangers-on' in Joe Biden's orbit, particularly on his 2020 campaign and stressed that 'I don't want him to be humiliated.' Alumni of the Obama administration also spotted key differences in how Joe Biden's presidency operated. 'Obama would hash it out with deputies and mid-level aides. Biden, by contrast, mostly met with the Politburo and his top national security aides,' the book said. 'Many of Biden's own aides were also kept at arm's length from the president.' 4 'Original Sin' hit bookshelves last week. AFP via Getty Images The bombshell book explained that, irrespective of official titles, 'in practice, Bruce Reed was the real domestic policy adviser, Mike Donilon was the actual political director, Steve Ricchetti controlled Legislative Affairs, and Klain controlled a bit of everything.' Mike Donilon, senior adviser Donilon, who served as a senior adviser to Biden from the start of his presidency until January 2024 when he hopped over to the campaign, had been a close confidant of the former president since the 1980s. During his time on the 2024 campaign, he raked in a jaw-dropping $4 million salary, according to 'Original Sin.' Some outside observers, including Obama strategist David Axelrod, assessed that he was 'tied to Biden emotionally that he could not accept the truth.' Donilon, a former pollster and media consultant, was widely seen as a true believer in Biden who earned the former president's mutual trust. 'The president valued Mike Donilon's advice so much that aides would later joke that if he wanted, he could get Biden to start a war,' Thompson and Tapper wrote. Steve Ricchetti, counselor to the president Ricchetti, who served as counselor to the president throughout Biden's time in the White House, served as the 46th president's chief of staff during the latter half of his vice presidency and worked on Biden's campaign. He also previously served as the White House deputy chief of staff for operations in the Clinton administration. During the Biden administration, Ricchetti played a key role in helping the former president steer through key legislative battles. At times, he would also weigh in on pressing political matters. At one point, Ricchetti personally called a reporter of an unnamed media outlet off the record to refute claims from multiple sources about Biden's health, according to the book. He also fumed after actor George Clooney penned a stunning op-ed urging Biden to drop out of the race. 'Ricchetti read it and was furious. Internally, he threatened to shut Clooney down—some of his colleagues thought he sounded like a mob boss,' the authors wrote. Bruce Reed, deputy chief of staff for policy Reed previously served as Biden's chief of staff during the first half of his vice presidency, prior to Ricchetti later taking over that post. He is also an alumnus of the Clinton administration. He was widely regarded as a 'policy wonk' and was among the advisers who helped prep Biden for his disastrous debate against President Trump. Ron Klain, ex-chief of staff As Biden's first chief of staff during his presidency, Klain was very influential and had sway over key decisions and messaging strategy — even after he left the White House, according to 'Original Sin.' Klain had been in Biden's orbit since the 1980s during the former president's Senate days. He also worked on the Clinton campaign in 2016. He officially exited the White House in February 2023, but still retained influence on the former president and helped him prepare for his disastrous debate against Trump last June. 'Biden showed a particular deference to Klain even though his chief of staff was often more progressive. Biden had deep respect for Klain's intellect. 'Only one person here is smarter than me and it's Ron,' aides heard him say,' the book claimed. Hunter Biden and Jill Biden Jill Biden had also been a key force in trying to shield her husband's faux pas from the public in what some have dubbed operation 'bubble wrap' and Hunter Biden was seen as a key force trying to prevent his father from dropping out of the 2024 race. 4 Steve Ricchetti, a former lobbyist, had been with Joe Biden during his vice presidency, campaign and presidency. AFP via Getty Images In the earlier stages of the former president's political career, the first lady had been a 'reluctant political spouse,' but she had significant influence throughout his administration, admonishing staffers at times for letting him ramble on too long in front of the cameras. Hunter Biden had weighed heavily on his father during his second term, and some aides speculated it played a role in his decline. 'To understand Joe Biden's deterioration, top aides told us, one has to know Hunter's struggles,' the book said. 'Plum jobs' Many 'politburo' members also brought key friends and family into plum Biden administration roles. Donilon's niece landed a role on the National Security Council, according to the book. Reed's daughter was a day scheduler for the president and Ricchetti's children also found jobs across the government, 'Original Sin' reported. Top Biden allies have rejected many characterizations in the book, but Thompson explained that he 'had stopped believing their denials for a while' after he kept hearing evidence that countered White House narratives. 'Original Sin' hit bookshelves last Tuesday.
Atlantic
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Atlantic
The Protective ‘Politburo' That Hid Biden's Decline
Washington Week With The Atlantic Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson discuss their new book, Original Sin. By On a special edition of Washington Week With The Atlantic, CNN's chief Washington correspondent Jake Tapper and the Axios political correspondent Alex Thompson joined Jeffrey Goldberg to discuss Original Sin, their new book about when Joe Biden started showing signs of decline—and how some people behind the scenes questioned his fitness to serve as president. In the four months since Biden left office, a consensus seems to have emerged that the former president's bid for reelection all but guaranteed Donald Trump's return to power. 'There was the fine Joe Biden … and then there was the nonfunctioning Biden,' Tapper said last night. 'And the nonfunctioning Biden would rear his head increasingly and more and more disturbingly as time went on.' 'Now the question is,' Tapper continued, 'when did the nonfunctioning Biden emerge so often it was a real question as to whether he should serve for president?' To see Tapper and Thompson discussing this and more with Goldberg, watch the full episode.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma needs PBS stations like OETA. Our US reps, senators must protect it.
My family grew peanuts and sold and serviced irrigation equipment in Caddo County, Oklahoma, for half a century. 'Farm bills' and agricultural programs and the elected officials who contended were very much topics of our household conversation and family discussions. While this certainly imbued me from childhood with a clear understanding of the impact governmental decisions — and the related political realities — could have on the lives and fortunes of Americans everywhere, I would not say that my family was particularly political or partisan in any sense of either word. Thus, it is interesting that I find myself, now approaching my 40th birthday, reflecting on decades of firsthand experience in public policy engagement and political activity including partisan activism. I have been a congressional staffer, served multiple terms representing Oklahoma on the governing body of the Young Republican National Federation, raised money for political candidates, chaired a state agency board as a gubernatorial appointee, and managed election campaigns. I remain, as to my own personal political philosophy, a staunch conservative devoted to the principles of limited and responsible government, federalism and the rule of law, and individual responsibility along with a deep respect for civic and cultural norms and decency. I attribute this particular political orientation in part to the foundational education I received from years of tuning in to Oklahoma's statewide PBS station, OETA, which, for our farm situated between Binger and Eakly, was broadcast on Channel 13. OETA shaped my conservative political views From a young age, I consumed content on OETA that informed and expanded my political and policy understanding, some of which affirmed my views on certain issues and some of which challenged previously-held assumptions. My political thought process was sharpened by state and local election coverage on OETA's "Oklahoma News Report"; knowledgeable guests hosted by Mr. Ken Bode and then Ms. Gwen Ifill on "Washington Week"; sparring between Mr. Pat Buchanan and Ms. Eleanor Clift on The McLaughlin Group; and, of course, the vast range of political and cultural ideas explored by the erudite Mr. William F. Buckley, Jr. — the 'Father of American Conservatism' — on the long-running program "Firing Line" which is now hosted by the classy and highly-capable former FOX News commentator and alumnae of the George W. Bush Administration, Ms. Margaret Hoover. Opinion: Why Oklahoma sportsmen, sportswomen, wildlife watchers should contact lawmakers about OETA The political and policy information that PBS shares with millions of Americans from all walks of life is balanced and reality-based, provided with the goal of equipping citizens with insights that they can gainfully make use of as they participate in our system of self-government. PBS makes Oklahoma more informed My lifelong reverence for our constitutional order, the importance of checks and balances and separation of powers, and the need for factual truths to inform and guide our great public debates was shaped and supported by all that I learned as a PBS viewer from a young and formative age. The programs I, and all Oklahomans, can access thanks to our PBS station, OETA, help drive home the need for respecting different political viewpoints, disagreeing without being disagreeable, and appreciating the fact that we are all fellow Americans and patriots before we are members of a particular partisan club. Above all, PBS programming helped me to arrive at my own unique mindset when it comes to our government — namely, that our institutions belong to all the people, not to one person or one party, and the constitutional and legal guardrails that preserve and protect our republic must be defended and upheld by both elected officials and those who elected them. Opinion: Don't tell me Oklahoma was never racist. Jim Crow was Senate Bill 1. Members of Oklahoma's congressional delegation have a strong track record of supporting the federal investment of $1.60 per American per year to help resource PBS stations like OETA. This federal support is coupled with charitable contributions and state appropriations in a public/private partnership that allows these stations to transmit lifesaving emergency alerts, produce distinctive local content, and, yes, share varied and measured different perspectives on the weighty policy and political questions of the day. I hope all Oklahomans who value the role of public television in our society will join me in communicating to our United States representatives and senators our sincerest appreciation for their support, and our respectful request that they do all that they can to keep PBS stations like OETA at work and on-mission for the American people. For information on the current status of federal support for public television stations like OETA and how you can get involved, please visit Garrett T. King Garrett T. King, of Weatherford, volunteers as the current board president of Friends Of OETA Inc., OETA's charitable and advocacy partner organization. He previously served three terms as OETA's board chair after being appointed to the board by Gov. Mary Fallin. King also volunteers as board vice chair of America's Public Television Stations (ATPS), a national advocacy organization for public television. This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma needs PBS stations like OETA. Protect them | Opinion
Atlantic
12-04-2025
- Business
- Atlantic
Trump's Trade War Unleashes Global Uncertainty
Donald Trump's trade war has unleashed global uncertainty. Panelists on Washington Week With The Atlantic joined to discuss the fallout from the president's policies—and his insistence that tariffs are the key to strengthening the American economy. Trump is 'not particularly ideological,' Ashley Parker said last night, but there are a few areas in which he's remained consistent: immigration and tariffs. 'He hates the idea that anyone is taking advantage of him or taking advantage, now, of his country, of the United States,' she said. With the president's continued insistence on imposing high, global tariffs, 'he does not want America, in his eyes, to be getting a 'bad deal,'' Parker continued. 'Despite not having a particularly clear ideology on a number of things, he fundamentally believes that trade imbalances mean that America is getting ripped off.' Joining the editor in chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, to discuss this and more: Zolan Kanno-Youngs, a White House correspondent for The New York Times; Jonathan Karl, the chief Washington correspondent for ABC News; Ashley Parker, a staff writer at The Atlantic; Tarini Parti, a White House reporter for The Wall Street Journal. Watch the full episode here.
