Key Takeaways

• Biden's cognitive decline was evident before 2020 but became increasingly severe by 2024, with cabinet secretaries reportedly believing he could not be relied upon for emergency responses and describing "five people running the country" with Biden as "at best a senior board member."

• A tight inner circle orchestrated an isolation strategy to minimize Biden's exposure, with Jill Biden and a core group of advisers (dubbed "the Politburo") controlling access and consistently claiming he was "fine" while shutting down discussions about his fitness for re-election.

• Major media outlets, including CNN, acknowledge missed opportunities to thoroughly investigate and report on Biden's cognitive issues, with Jake Tapper admitting he tried to keep coverage "vanilla" and that conservative media was correct in highlighting these concerns.

• The June 2024 debate performance was catastrophic, described as potentially "the worst debate in presidential debate history," yet Biden appeared unaware of how poorly he had performed, highlighting the disconnect between his condition and his inner circle's messaging.

• The book reveals a pattern of concealment spanning years, with over 200 Democratic insiders providing evidence of Biden's decline after the election, suggesting the "original sin" was the decision to run for re-election despite known cognitive limitations.

Deep Dive

Book Introduction and Core Revelations

Megan Kelly introduces an interview about Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's new book "Original Sin" about President Biden's cognitive decline. The book reveals that by 2024, Biden's cabinet secretaries reportedly believed he could not be relied upon for emergency responses, with one source claiming "five people were running the country" with Biden being "at best a senior board member."

The authors present evidence that signs of Biden's mental decline were evident even before the 2020 election, including:

• Frequent verbal stumbles and brain freezes
• Forgetting names of world leaders
• Asking about a deceased congresswoman as if she were alive
• Special counsel report describing him as having poor memory

Book Origins and Development

The book project began just before Election Day, with the title "Original Sin" referring to Biden's decision to run for re-election. Thompson's previous Biden book with Simon & Schuster was canceled in October 2023 due to scheduling delays, poor Biden book sales, and title disagreements.

The authors conducted interviews with over 200 Democratic insiders, mostly after the election when sources became more willing to discuss Biden's perceived mental decline. The book's core thesis focuses on the alleged cover-up surrounding Biden's mental fitness during the 2024 election, revealing two perspectives of Biden: a "serviceable" version and a "non-functioning" version.

Media Coverage Self-Reflection

The discussion includes significant self-reflection on media coverage of Biden's cognitive issues. Tapper admits feeling "humility" about past coverage and wishing he had pressed Biden more on issues of age and mental acuity. He acknowledges missed opportunities to thoroughly investigate Biden's cognitive state and admits his previous confrontation with Laura Trump about her comments on Biden's cognitive state has "aged poorly."

Key incidents that received limited media coverage included:

• The Jackie Walerski moment (asking about a deceased congresswoman)
• Freeze up at Juneteenth celebration
• Wandering off at G7 summit
• Freeze at George Clooney fundraiser

Timeline of Decline

The authors trace Biden's cognitive decline through several phases:

• Noticeable mental lapses dating back to 2015 after his son Beau's death
• Increasing frequency and severity throughout his presidency
• Particular deterioration in summer 2023, intensifying after Hunter Biden's plea deal fell apart
• A "weird period" starting in fall 2023 where cabinet secretaries were kept away from Biden

The Inner Circle and Isolation Strategy

By late 2023/2024, the White House appeared to deliberately minimize Biden's interactions with officials. Many White House staff had not seen Biden in weeks or months, and even high-ranking Democrats like Nancy Pelosi reported minimal recent interactions.

A core group of four advisers, dubbed "the Politburo," closely surrounded Biden:

• Mike Donilon (top political adviser)
• Steve Reschetti (top legislative adviser)
• Ron Klain (former chief of staff)
• Bruce Reed (longtime policy adviser)

Jill Biden's Protective Role

Jill Biden acted as a primary protector and loyalty enforcer, maintaining tight control over Biden's schedule and inner circle. She actively helped Biden during interactions by jumping in with answers, guiding him, and introducing people to help him remember. Anthony Bernal and Annie Tomasini had unusual access and control, with resident staff often kept at bay or sent home early to minimize exposure to Biden's condition.

The Debate Performance

The discussion extensively covers Biden's debate performance, described as potentially "the worst debate in presidential debate history." Key observations included:

• Shuffling walk
• Weakened, thin voice
• Frequent coughing
• Difficulty maintaining train of thought
• Accidentally saying "killed Medicare" instead of potentially meaning "beat COVID"

Decision-Making and Presidential Capacity

The book alleges that some cabinet members felt Biden was not fully in command of presidential decisions, with senior staff briefing the president after initial meetings and potentially framing decisions. One cabinet member suggested Biden only has 4-6 "good hours" per day, with some attributing policy shifts to chief of staff Ron Klain's influence rather than Biden himself.

At least four cabinet secretaries suggested Biden could not be relied upon during emergencies, and access to the president reportedly dropped off significantly in 2024, with some cabinet members beginning to brief senior White House aides instead of directly interacting with Biden.

Recent Health Developments

The authors discuss Biden's recent announcement of prostate cancer that has metastasized to bones, which some medical experts suggest is an unusual/rare progression. People in the Biden White House are reportedly suspicious of the timing of this announcement, adding another layer to questions about transparency regarding presidential health.

Political and Media Reactions

The book has received significant blowback from both left and right-wing media. Some Democratic politicians have different narratives privately versus publicly, with examples including Susan Wild and Hakeem Jeffries, who reportedly knew about Biden's issues but now claim everything is fine. Naomi Biden (the president's granddaughter) criticized the book as "political fairy smut."

The authors have consulted neurologists who have been discussing potential conditions like Lewy body dementia or Parkinson's, emphasizing the importance of having an open conversation about presidential health. Despite criticism, they defend their reporting as necessary and truthful, with Jake stating "telling the truth is always worth it."

Authors' Perspective and Friendship

The interview concludes with discussion of the unlikely friendship between Tapper and Kelly despite political differences, emphasizing mutual respect and the ability to maintain relationships across ideological divides. They frame their collaboration as providing a "deeply sourced, unflinching account" of behind-the-scenes events, motivated by a desire to document "what happened" while acknowledging potential blowback from both political sides.

The authors present their work as a "tragedy of a man undone," suggesting that running for re-election at Biden's age was risky and emphasizing the need for transparency about presidential health records and decision-making capacity.