New Book Says Biden Aides Discussed Wheelchair Use If He Were Re-Elected

A forthcoming book titled “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” co-authored by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, alleges that as former President Joe Biden's physical health deteriorated during his 2024 re-election bid, his aides had discussions about the possibility of him needing to use a wheelchair.

The Details: “Biden's physical deterioration — most apparent in his halting walk — had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn't do so until after the election,” the authors wrote. The book involved interviews with over 200 individuals, mainly Democratic insiders. The authors suggested that Biden's physician, Kevin O'Connor, privately expressed that if Biden had another bad fall, a wheelchair might become necessary. The book also mentions that O'Connor frequently argued with Biden's aides, advocating for more rest time to be included in the president's schedule.

For Context: Axios (Lean Left bias) noted, “Throughout 2024, Biden aides told reporters that the president's halting walk was partly the result of him fracturing his foot in November 2020, and then refusing to consistently wear his walking boot. In short, they said, Biden was being undone by his own vigor.”

How The Media Covered It: In Axios, a Biden spokesperson argued that “evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity” and asserted that Biden had been “a very effective president.” BBC News (Center) noted many of the sources for the book were anonymous. The New York Post (Lean Right) said, “Lefty media, including Tapper himself, have since come under fire, too, for dismissing concerns about the then-president’s physical and mental ability.”

Revised by the AllSides staff (of humans) after a first draft from our custom AI. Learn more. Support our mission.