Jake Tapper’s explosive book “Original Sin” reveals the extent of President Biden’s cognitive decline and how the White House allegedly orchestrated a cover-up that ultimately failed when Biden collapsed during the June 2024 debate.
At a Glance
- Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book “Original Sin” details an alleged cover-up of President Biden’s cognitive decline
- The book portrays two versions of Biden: a functional vice president versus a president with significant mental impairment
- White House reporters are now questioning whether they were complicit in hiding Biden’s condition from the American public
- Biden’s presidency reportedly functioned as a “five-person board” with aides managing his deteriorating capabilities
- The cover-up allegedly involved scripted events, limited public appearances, and aggressive intimidation of journalists
Media Reckoning: A Presidential Cover-Up Exposed
The White House press corps is facing a moment of serious self-examination following revelations in CNN anchor Jake Tapper and journalist Alex Thompson’s new book “Original Sin.” The book presents damning evidence that President Biden’s team deliberately concealed his cognitive decline throughout his presidency, raising profound questions about media accountability and public trust.
Conservative outlets had long questioned Biden’s mental fitness, only to be dismissed or labeled as partisan by mainstream media and White House officials. Now, journalists who once dismissed these concerns are confronting whether they failed in their duty to inform the American people about the true condition of their commander-in-chief.
Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy, who frequently questioned Biden’s mental state at press briefings, was repeatedly shut down by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Other reporters have now come forward acknowledging that the administration engaged in what appears to be a coordinated effort to hide Biden’s condition. The book describes how Biden struggled with memory, had difficulty recognizing allies, and couldn’t maintain focus during important conversations – all while his staff worked diligently to present an image of competence to the American public through carefully controlled environments and limited exposure.
Why did the media run cover for Biden's obvious mental decline? https://t.co/TNdjKcTvpF
— Womack (@CHI2COL) May 19, 2025
Two Bidens: The Vice President vs. The President
According to Tapper’s reporting, there were essentially two Joe Bidens. The first was the man Americans came to know during his vice presidency – sharp, engaged, and capable. The second was the man who occupied the Oval Office – suffering from significant cognitive impairment that worsened over time. “The first one is the one that everybody got to know during his vice presidency,” Tapper explained. “We in the public would see some of it in front of the cameras … but we had no idea how bad it was.” This stark contrast became impossible to hide during the disastrous June 2024 debate with Donald Trump, which ultimately led to Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race.
“I can point to times where I asked him this or I asked them that … but knowing what I know now, I barely scratched the surface,” said Jake Tapper in reflecting on his own coverage of the Biden presidency.
The book further alleges that Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had metastasized to the bone – a serious health condition that was never disclosed to the American public. Behind closed doors, the presidency reportedly functioned as a “five-person board” with Biden serving as chairman while key staff members made many of the day-to-day decisions. This arrangement raises serious constitutional questions about who was actually running the executive branch during this period.
Media Complicity and the Aftermath
White House reporters are now grappling with their role in potentially enabling this cover-up. One anonymous White House correspondent described the situation bluntly: “This was a cover-up by any definition, but a quixotic one for the Biden team to have undertaken, for at the end of the day, there is only so much a White House staff can do to shield the President of the United States from exposure to the press and public. The cover-up had both private and public-facing dimensions.”
The fallout from these revelations extends beyond the Biden administration to questions about journalistic integrity and media bias. Jon Stewart publicly criticized CNN for promoting Tapper’s book instead of reporting the news when they had the information. Margaret Chadbourn, a White House correspondent, believes the situation has seriously damaged public trust in media institutions. “Reporters need to do some soul-searching, maybe, perhaps, and question did they cover Biden the way they should have, through the lens they should have, asking the questions they should have,” she noted.
As one White House reporter aptly summarized: “The subject that was denounced as so rude and fringe-y to ask about back then eventually emerged as the defining issue of the Biden presidency.”
