By: Ariella Haviv

In a forthcoming book that’s already igniting waves of political conversation, CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios national political correspondent Alex Thompson offer a detailed, behind-the-scenes account of what they allege was a concerted effort by top aides and advisors to manage the physical decline of President Joe Biden during the latter half of his presidency. Titled Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, the book is set for release on May 20 and draws from over 200 interviews, largely with senior Democratic figures conducted after the 2024 election.

According to excerpts published by Axios and cited frequently by CNN, the book lays out how Biden’s physical state—especially his stiff gait and instability—became a serious internal concern for White House staff. So much so that aides privately debated whether the president might need a wheelchair if he secured a second term. The authors write that his personal physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, warned in private that a serious fall in 2023 or 2024 could necessitate the use of a wheelchair due to the difficulty Biden might face in recovery.

CNN reported that while these internal deliberations were largely hidden from the public eye, they shaped a wide array of logistical changes. Biden’s team allegedly shortened walking distances to podiums, installed additional handrails where possible, and had the president begin boarding Air Force One via a smaller staircase. Staffers reportedly even walked with him across the South Lawn not just to maintain appearances, but to be close in case of a fall—a precaution they viewed as increasingly necessary.

Tapper and Thompson chronicle that Biden’s challenges extended beyond mobility. According to their sources, the president began forgetting the names of longtime colleagues and sometimes appeared blank or confused during informal conversations, especially when fatigued. The cognitive lapses reportedly intensified concerns behind the scenes, even as the campaign publicly insisted Biden was capable and engaged.

CNN’s reporting on the book emphasized how these issues contributed to mounting anxiety within the Democratic Party, ultimately culminating in Biden’s widely panned debate performance against Donald Trump in June 2024—a pivotal moment that led to his withdrawal from the race just three weeks later.

The White House has pushed back against the book’s portrayal. In a statement to Axios, a Biden spokesperson acknowledged the president’s stiffened gait, attributing it to age-related spinal wear and tear. However, they denied that it had worsened to a point of concern or required specialized treatment. “He was transparent about this,” the statement reads, calling claims of severity an exaggeration. “Evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity.”

The spokesperson went further, defending Biden’s capacity to lead. “So far, we are still waiting for someone, anyone, to point out where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or address where he was unable to do his job because of mental decline. In fact, the evidence points to the opposite—he was a very effective president.”

CNN also highlighted remarks made earlier this month during Biden’s joint appearance with First Lady Jill Biden on The View, where they addressed ongoing speculation about his health. “The people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us,” Jill Biden said. “They didn’t see how hard Joe worked every single day.”

Nevertheless, the picture painted in Original Sin raises difficult questions for Democratic leadership about transparency, political judgment, and public trust. As the CNN report and Axios both note, Biden’s team managed to conceal the depth of their internal concerns throughout his re-election campaign—only for the consequences to erupt on a national debate stage.

With its detailed insider accounts and political implications, the book promises to stoke further debate about the presidency, aging leadership, and the boundaries of discretion in American politics.