Original Sin, the Biden Cover-Up Book, Is Better Late Than Never
Even readers who are profoundly distrustful of Jake Tapper should pick up a copy.
The public at large is now well aware that Democratic Party elites worked to hide President Joe Biden's cognitive decline from the public, and the mainstream media was either complicit in this scheme or incurious enough to unmask it. Critics of the media, including many conservative, libertarian, leftist, and independent thinkers, have thus been enjoying something of a victory lap—the exposure of the Biden cover-up is a great told you so moment for contrarian commentators.
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Given all this, nonliberals were clearly disinclined to extend the benefit of the doubt to CNN's Jake Tapper, who has just published a book about Biden's decline. That book, co-authored by Alex Thompson, an Axios reporter who did pursue the Biden decline beat with some fervency, is called Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. Tapper has drawn criticism, including from Megyn Kelly, for previously dismissing Lara Trump when she raised the issue of Biden's infirmity. In response, Tapper asserts that his dismissiveness was a huge mistake and that he is ashamed that he did not pursue this story more aggressively.
In any case, the book should be judged on its own merits. And even readers who are profoundly distrustful of Tapper should pick up a copy. It's very good.
Original Sin contains a wealth of new information, even for people who have closely followed developments in the cognitive decline cover-up. Here are some of my reactions to the relevant passages.
- Tapper and Thompson persuasively demonstrate that the shielding of Biden from public scrutiny was accomplished by a shockingly limited number of top aides, nicknamed the "politburo." Just four or five people were in the know: advisers Mike Donilon, Steve Richetti, and Anita Dunn; Chief of Staff Ron Klain; and an incredibly small handful of others. By carefully limiting his public appearances, they managed to estrange Biden from his own Cabinet (though not entirely), congressional leaders, and ultimately voters.
- Contrary to some media assertions, Biden's cognitive decline was not a sudden development late in the campaign. His capacities had been greatly diminished for years. If anything, the real turning point was the death of his son, Beau, in 2015. While he still had some good days in the following years, there was a clear difference in his overall behavior.
- To that end, the COVID-19 pandemic was an exceedingly lucky break for Biden, because it gave him an excuse to campaign virtually, in a carefully controlled environment. The demands of a regular campaign would have exposed Biden as unfit for office, even in 2020.
- The decision to run for reelection was made by Biden, in consultation with his family: Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, and other people with the last name Biden. It was not made by his aides. It was announced to them, and they did not protest. In fact, the aides had essentially learned never to question the Biden family: Staffers who did ask questions were quickly sidelined. Jill Biden's senior adviser, Anthony Bernal, was a particularly militant enforcer.
- While the politburo was highly effective at hiding Biden, many Democrats had ample reason to suspect something was amiss. Anonymous former Cabinet officials tell Tapper and Thompson that their (infrequent) meetings with the president were so painful that it made them fearful for the country's national security. It is telling that none of them went public about this at the time, a decision that should haunt Cabinet officials who aspire to future office: most notably, Pete Buttigieg and, of course, Kamala Harris.
What should we take away from all of this? Next time a president virtually disappears from the public, refuses to meet with officials in the mornings and evenings, and looks like a shell of his former self during the rare moments he is out and about, the media might just want to ask a question or two. Even so, better late than never.
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