A new book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” reveals that Joe Biden’s physical decline became so severe during 2023 and 2024 that his advisers privately discussed the possibility of him needing a wheelchair, particularly if he won re-election.
The book, set for release on May 20, draws from interviews with over 200 individuals, predominantly Democratic insiders, who had knowledge of Biden’s final two years in office. These interviews largely occurred after the 2024 election.
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According to Axios, Biden’s aides were deeply concerned about his declining health, especially the significant degeneration of his spine, as he sought a second term at 81. They also reportedly engaged in efforts to conceal the extent of his condition during the re-election campaign against Donald Trump.
“Biden’s physical deterioration — most apparent in his halting walk — had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn’t do so until after the election,” the authors write. Aides believed that using a wheelchair during the campaign would be politically damaging.
The book further reveals that Biden’s physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, privately warned that another fall could necessitate wheelchair use, given Biden’s age. This concern heightened after Biden tripped over a sandbag at the Air Force Academy in June 2023. Subsequently, aides implemented precautions such as shorter walking paths, handrail use, sneaker wearing, and detailed visual briefings to prevent further falls.
Axios wrote that Dr. O’Connor had reportedly expressed ongoing concern about the toll of the presidency on Biden’s health, often clashing with political staff over rest time. He even quipped that staff were “trying to kill him” while he was “trying to keep him alive.”
Throughout 2024, aides attributed Biden’s halting walk to a fractured foot from November 2020, contradicting Dr. O’Connor’s earlier reports that the fractures had fully healed. O’Connor’s public summaries focused on spinal arthritis as the primary cause of Biden’s gait changes.
The book alleges that Biden, his family, and senior White House officials proceeded with the re-election campaign despite observing signs of physical and mental decline.
Biden’s poor debate performance against Trump in June 2024 reportedly prompted Democratic leaders to urge him to withdraw from the race, which he did three weeks later, endorsing Vice President Harris.
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In response to the book’s claims, a Biden spokesperson stated that his medical exam confirmed a stiffened gait due to spinal wear and tear, but denied any worsening or need for special treatment.
“He was transparent about this, and it was far from ‘severe,'” the spokesperson said. “Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity.”
The spokesperson further challenged anyone to point to instances where Biden was unable to perform his presidential duties due to mental decline.
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