Biden Team Responds to Allegations of Age-Related Cover-Ups

A forthcoming book, "Original Sin," alleges that President Biden's aides hid his significant health decline during the 2024 campaign. Biden's team insists that changes due to aging do not reflect mental incapacity and maintains his effectiveness as president despite criticism and reported incidents of forgetfulness.

Joe Biden's aides are pushing back against allegations featured in a new book that claims the White House covered up concerns regarding the former president's physical decline during his unsuccessful bid for re-election. The book, titled "Original Sin," authored by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, suggests that the state of Biden's health during his 2024 campaign was such that aides seriously considered using a wheelchair for him. Biden, who is 82 years old, has had his spokesperson argue that "evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity," asserting that he has been an "effective president."

Set to launch on May 20, the book paints a troubling picture of Biden's candidacy, detailing internal discussions among staff following his poor debate performance against former President Trump. After exiting the race in July, Biden left his party scrambling. Critics within the Democratic Party expressed frustration, claiming he delayed his decision to withdraw, leaving Vice President Kamala Harris only 107 days to vie against Trump.

Despite the pre-release buzz, Biden recently stated in an interview with the BBC that he doubts an earlier exit would have made a difference. The book, primarily corroborated by anonymous sources who spoke with over 200 individuals, cites on-record comments from David Plouffe, a veteran of Harris's campaign. Plouffe was quoted expressing disappointment over how the party felt "screwed" by Biden's timing.

The authors claim that Biden's physical issues have grown significantly; they report discussions within the administration regarding his potential need for a wheelchair. Instances highlighted include physical changes that caused aides to encourage Biden to take fewer steps and utilize handrails. In their defense, aides previously attributed Biden's halting gait to a foot fracture from 2020, dismissing concerns about his mental acuity.

An anonymous Biden aide remarked, "Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity." Notably, others have pointed to Biden's effectiveness, with calls for evidence proving any incapacity detrimental to his presidency. However, troubling incidents outlined in the book include Biden failing to recognize actor George Clooney at a fundraising event, which drew public attention when Clooney later retracted his support for Biden. Other examples of alleged memory lapses include Biden forgetting the names of key aides, providing further fodder for critics as they question his fitness for future leadership.