Democrats in disbelief over Biden's health condition
U.S. President Biden's Health: Concerns Raised Amid Decline, According to New Book
In the last years of Joe Biden's presidency, the U.S. leader has grappled with mental and physical deterioration, at times forgetting the names of his closest aides, stumbling with his speech, and appearing disoriented, according to a revealing new book.
Authors Jake Tapper (CNN) and Alex Thompson (Axios) claim that the Democratic Party has been aware of Biden's decline for some time but has kept the issue hidden. In their book, titled "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," they delve into scenes that depict Democratic lawmakers, White House staff, cabinet members, and party donors as shocked by the former vice president's weakening abilities.
The authors describe an 81-year-old president with waning strength, whose struggle during his re-election campaign was not due to simple weariness or lack of preparation. Instead, it was a man who suffered from year-long declines in cognitive and physical abilities. According to the authors, the perceived attempt to put an elderly, sometimes confused man back in the Oval Office was driven by self-interest and a fear of a potential second term for Donald Trump.
The newly released book, based on more than 200 interviews, mostly with Democratic insiders conducted after the 2024 election, suggests that Biden's staff had concerns about his health as early as 2020. However, these concerns reportedly escalated in the two years leading up to the disastrous debate with Donald Trump in June 2024. In this contest, Biden could not recall the names of key members of his team, such as Jake Sullivan, his national security advisor, and Kate Bedingfield, his communications director.
As the debate marked the beginning of humiliating moments in the presidential campaign, some members of Biden's cabinet reportedly believed that the president would not be fit to handle a national emergency at 2 a.m. Tapper and Thompson's book portrays a tight circle surrounding Biden, including his wife, son, and long-time advisors, who valued loyalty above all else.
Concerns about Biden's health have amplified as his age has become a growing concern in recent days. On Sunday, the White House announced that President Biden has been diagnosed with an "aggressive form" of prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. The statement offered no details about the treatment options under consideration.
The Republican Party has generally maintained a respectful tone in the wake of Biden's cancer diagnosis, with even former President Trump expressing sympathy. However, discussions about whether Biden was fit for office have moved to the forefront, with Vice President JD Vance questioning the former president's capacity to do the job.
On Friday, Axios published an audio recording of Biden's interview with special advisor Robert Hur regarding the classified document scandal. Hur described Biden in his report as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory."
As the final weeks of Biden's presidency approach, the ongoing debate about his fitness for office endures. The ongoing questions about Biden's health and his decision to run for re-election will continue to shape the political landscape in the coming months.
- The US presidential election of 2024 could potentially see Joe Biden as a candidate, but concerns about his health, particularly his mental and physical deterioration, have been raised publicly following the release of a new book.
- The book, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," reveals that Biden has been experiencing cognitive and physical declines, affecting his memory, speech, and orientation.
- In the book, authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson claim that Democratic Party members have been aware of Biden's health concerns for some time but chose to keep it hidden.
- The authors' investigation also suggests that Biden's decision to run for re-election was driven by self-interest and a fear of Donald Trump's potential second term, despite concerns raised by his staff about his health as early as 2020.
