CNN anchor Jake Tapper on Tuesday shared his view on why details about the reported deterioration of Joe Biden’s health were not revealed prior to his departure from office, accusing the former president’s White House team of spreading lies about his condition.
In an appearance on “CNN News Central,” Tapper, who co-wrote a book with Axios’ Alex Thompson on the topic, said many reporters were trying to piece together how Biden was faring behind the scenes, while those working closely with him were committed to distorting reality.
“Bottom line is: The White House was lying not only to the press, not only to the public, but they were lying to members of their own Cabinet,” Tapper said. “They were lying to White House staffers. They were lying to Democratic members of Congress, to donors about how bad things had gotten.”
Tapper said he and Thompson spoke to about 200 people for their book, almost all of whom were Democrats who would not have been as candid about Biden’s condition ahead of the 2024 election.
An excerpt of the book published by Axios Tuesday morning claims that Biden’s physical condition worsened so much in 2023 and 2024 that “there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair” but his team was adamant that doing so ahead of the election would be politically damaging.
In response to this part of the book, an unidentified spokesperson pushed back on the reporting, acknowledging “physical changes as he got older” but stressing that his condition didn’t worsen and that his performance on the job was not impacted.
“We are still waiting for someone, anyone, to point out where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or make a presidential address where he was unable to do his job because of mental decline,” the person said in a statement to Axios.
Biden’s physician Kevin O’Connor previously disclosed his client’s “stiffened gait,” saying it probably explained the “wear and tear” on his spine. Following Biden’s 2024 annual physical, O’Connor said Biden’s gait remained stiff but hadn’t worsened in the past year.
Biden, who turned 82 on Nov. 20, 2024, dropped out of the presidential race last summer following a disastrous debate performance that amplified concerns about his health and mental acuity. He ceded his place to then-Vice President Kamala Harris who went on to lose to Donald Trump.
