A forthcoming book by journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson reveals how former First Lady Jill Biden played a central role in concealing President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, while wielding extraordinary influence within the White House.
“Original Sin,” set to be published next week, details how Dr. Biden protected her husband from negative headlines and shielded him from the harsh reality of his failing re-election campaign.
Based on interviews with more than 200 Democratic insiders, the book portrays Jill Biden as fiercely protective, often berating staff in private while defending her husband’s missteps in public. In some instances, she would help him finish his thoughts during conversations and pull him away from difficult interactions.
One revealing episode describes a meeting between President Biden and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro shortly after Biden’s disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump. When Shapiro began offering candid feedback about the president’s poor polling and campaign struggles, Dr. Biden abruptly ended the conversation by standing up and declaring, “Alright, we gotta go.”
The book details how the first lady’s team became arguably the most powerful faction within the White House. Anthony Bernal, her senior adviser, and Annie Tomasini, deputy chief of staff, gained unusual access to the Bidens’ residential quarters and were feared by junior officials. “As Jill’s power rose, so did Bernal’s,” the authors write, describing him as “one of the most influential people in the White House.”
Dr. Biden’s protective instincts were on full display following a presidential press conference marking Biden’s first year in office. After the president took an unplanned question from a right-wing outlet about his cognitive fitness, Jill Biden appeared in the doorway of the Treaty Room where staff had gathered and demanded, “Why didn’t anyone stop that?”
The book reveals the extraordinary measures taken to manage the president’s public appearances and even private interactions. According to three former cabinet secretaries interviewed for the book, Biden relied heavily on briefing cards not only in public settings but also in private cabinet meetings, which were described as “terrible and at times uncomfortable.”
“The cabinet meetings were largely scripted, even after the press had left the room,” the authors write, noting that White House staff would call various departments beforehand to prepare answers for questions the president might face. One cabinet secretary stated bluntly, “I don’t recall a great cabinet meeting in terms of his presence. They were so scripted.”
A particularly troubling incident occurred during a fundraiser with Hollywood stars George Clooney and Julia Roberts. According to the book, when Biden approached Clooney, he failed to recognize the actor despite knowing him for years, repeatedly saying only, “Thank you for being here.” An aide had to step in to remind the president that he knew the famous actor. Clooney was reportedly “shaken to his core” by the interaction and later became a prominent voice calling for Biden to exit the race.
The book also details concerns about the president’s physical decline, revealing that White House advisers had discussed whether Biden would need to use a wheelchair during a potential second term. Following a fall over a sandbag at the Air Force Academy in June 2023, staff began plotting shorter walking routes at events and issued slow-motion videos of the president moving around the White House to disguise his shuffling gait.
Dr. Kevin O’Connor, the president’s physician, reportedly said privately that “if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery.”
Beyond the physical and cognitive issues, the book explores how President Biden’s son Hunter’s legal troubles weighed heavily on his father. “To understand Joe Biden’s deterioration, top aides told us, one has to know Hunter’s struggles,” the authors write. The president lived in constant fear of losing another child after already experiencing the deaths of his first wife, daughter, and son Beau.
A fourth cabinet secretary interviewed for the book described Hunter’s June 2024 tax conviction as “akin to a five-hundred-pound weight dropping on the president’s head.” The Bidens feared the legal troubles would trigger another relapse in Hunter’s battle with addiction. “It wore on the president’s soul,” according to the book. “He lived in fear that he would lose a third child.”
When asked about the book’s claims during today’s press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declined to comment specifically but stated, “President Trump respects the Biden family’s privacy during this transitional period. The administration is focused on moving the country forward, not revisiting the previous administration’s challenges.”
Former Biden staffers, speaking to Politico on condition of anonymity, have disputed some characterizations in the book, arguing that the authors cherry-picked negative anecdotes while downplaying Biden’s policy accomplishments during his term.
“Original Sin” is scheduled for release on May 21 and is already generating significant attention for its behind-the-scenes look at the inner workings of the previous administration. The book’s revelations add new context to President Biden’s decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race last July following mounting pressure from within his own party.
