Two investigative books, “2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America” by Josh Dawsey, Tyler Pager, and Isaac Arnsdorf, and “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson, explore the substantial influence First Lady Jill Biden had on messaging and personnel decisions during the final months of her husband’s presidency.
As President Joe Biden’s cognitive difficulties became more apparent, particularly following a challenging debate in June 2024, Jill Biden reportedly assumed a more assertive leadership role. Her influence was largely exerted through aides like Anthony Bernal, her chief of staff, and Annie Tomasini, her deputy chief. This inner circle managed access, messaging, and hiring decisions, with some aides labeled as the White House “loyalty police.”
“Original Sin” recounts an incident where Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro was cut off by Dr. Biden during a discussion about polling concerns post-debate, as she said, “We gotta go.” The book depicts Jill as a key advocate for Biden’s second-term run and as someone who privately criticized staff while publicly supporting the president.
In “2024,” Dawsey and colleagues describe Jill Biden’s unscheduled attendance at Hunter Biden’s federal trial in June 2024. She flew to France for D-Day ceremonies and returned within 24 hours, surprising West Wing staff and showcasing her independence. Both books note a strict prohibition on discussing Hunter’s legal issues, maintained by Jill’s associates to control optics.
Internal conflicts are highlighted, including disputes between Bernal and veteran strategist Anita Dunn over transparency regarding the Biden family’s legal challenges and media openness.
New Testimony and Investigations
Testimony from former Chief of Staff Ron Klain has corroborated these accounts. In July 2025, Klain informed the House Oversight Committee that President Biden seemed “less energetic,” experienced memory lapses, and was considered “not politically viable” by senior figures such as Hillary Clinton and Jake Sullivan during 2024. However, Klain did not believe the president was cognitively unfit to govern.
Klain stated he cooperated fully with investigators, unlike some aides who used the Fifth Amendment. He also confirmed a personal $5,000 donation to Hunter Biden’s legal fund, made at the request of Hunter’s legal counsel.
Reports indicate that after the June debate, Biden opted for a photoshoot at Camp David rather than attending a critical meeting with progressive caucus members, choosing not to engage with lawmakers who could have assisted his campaign.
Public Backlash and Family Response
The Biden family has responded strongly. Naomi Biden dismissed “Original Sin” as “political fairy smut,” a sensationalism-driven narrative. Ashley Biden criticized the depiction of her father’s mental state as “disrespectful and untrue,” suggesting the critiques are politically motivated.
Republican-led investigative committees in both the House and the Senate have initiated probes into potential cover-ups, the use of an autopen for signing key documents, and whether Dr. Kevin O’Connor misrepresented Biden’s physical condition under oath.
Bridging Narratives
Together, “2024” and “Original Sin” present a narrative in which Jill Biden, through her inner circle, assumed significant influence over White House operations as concerns about the president’s health increased. Through messaging control, personnel management, and public engagements, she became a political partner and protector, drawing internal disagreement and public scrutiny.
Ron Klain’s testimony supports the portrayal of Biden’s declining vigor and challenges the timeline and internal decisions that prolonged his re-election bid despite apparent vulnerabilities. The pressured family members and escalating oversight provide additional context to what these books describe as a concerted effort to maintain Biden’s campaign.
