Former US President Joe Bidenʼs health was so worrisome in 2023 and 2024 that advisers privately discussed the possibility of using a wheelchair for him, but only if he was re-elected.
This is the subject of the book "Original Sin: President Bidenʼs Decline, His Cover-Up, and His Catastrophic Decision to Run Again," by CNNʼs Jake Tapper and Axiosʼ Alex Thompson, which will be released on May 20.
The advisersʼ discussions indicated the presidentʼs deteriorating health, including spinal problems, despite which Biden decided to run for a second term at the age of 81. It also demonstrated his administrationʼs determination to cover up the problems.
Joe Biden’s aides considered it politically unacceptable for him to use a wheelchair during the campaign, but they also feared the president would fall again (as he did when he tripped over a sandbag at the Air Force Academy in June 2023).
Since then, aides have sought the shortest possible walkways, started insisting on handrails for the stairs to the stage, forced the president to wear sneakers more often, and so on.
Bidenʼs doctor, Kevin OʼConnor, has privately expressed concern about the impact of the presidency on the Democratʼs health and has often argued with officials to reduce the presidentʼs schedule. OʼConnor joked that Bidenʼs staff tried to kill him while he was trying to save his life.
Throughout 2024, Biden aides told reporters that the presidentʼs limp was partly the result of a broken foot in November 2020. Instead, OʼConnor wrote in reports that "both small fractures in his foot had fully healed," but Biden had "mild arthritis in his foot following the fracture" and "significant arthritis in his spine."
When asked about the bookʼs content, Bidenʼs spokesman, who asked to remain anonymous, said that Bidenʼs medical examination clearly indicated that his gait was partly caused by wear and tear on his spine, but did not require special treatment.
"Yes, there have been physical changes with age, but that is not evidence of cognitive incapacity... In fact, the facts suggest the opposite — he was a very effective president," the spokesman concluded.
- The book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, His Cover-Up, and His Catastrophic Decision to Run Again,” is based on interviews with more than 200 people, mostly Democratic Party insiders, who recounted the events of the last two years of Biden’s presidency.
For more news and in-depth stories from Ukraine, please follow us on X.