Book Claims Biden’s Health Deterioration Raised Wheelchair Concerns in Hypothetical Second Term

A forthcoming book is stirring debate with its claims about former President Joe Biden’s physical condition during the latter part of his presidency, suggesting that his health decline was more significant than publicly acknowledged and that aides even discussed the possibility of him using a wheelchair. The book, titled "Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again," is authored by prominent political journalists Jake Tapper of CNN and Alex Thompson of Axios and scheduled for release on May 20th.

According to excerpts shared by Axios and CNN, the book alleges that Biden’s physical deterioration became so pronounced during the second half of his presidency that his aides privately deliberated on the potential need for a wheelchair. Furthermore, it claims that Biden’s personal physician, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, privately cautioned aides that a fall in 2023 or 2024 could necessitate the use of a wheelchair.

The book’s premise centers around the idea that Biden’s age and perceived health decline were significant factors in his decision to run for reelection, a decision the authors characterize as "disastrous." The issue of Biden’s age was a persistent theme throughout the 2024 presidential race, frequently raised as a concern by voters and weaponized as a point of criticism by his then-presidential opponent, Donald Trump, and other Republican contenders.

Biden’s performance in the first presidential debate on June 27th, 2024, reportedly exacerbated concerns about his age and fitness for office. His performance was widely criticized, generating a wave of negative commentary, jokes, and more serious discussions about the role of advanced age in public leadership. Ultimately, Biden withdrew from the race on July 21, 2024.

At the time of his run, Biden was 81 years old, while Trump was 78. In the aftermath of Biden’s November 2024 election loss, questions surrounding the impact of his age and apparent physical decline have persisted, fueling ongoing introspection within the Democratic Party.

Biden addressed these concerns directly in an interview on "The View" on May 8th. He defended his decision to remain in the race for a significant portion of 2024, arguing that concerns about his age "took on a life of its own" among Democratic donors and party leaders. He asserted that his sole motivation for withdrawing was to avoid a fractured Democratic Party. "The only reason I got out of the race was because I didn’t want to have a divided Democratic Party," Biden stated.

According to Axios, the book is based on interviews with over 200 individuals described as "Democratic insiders with knowledge of the events that unfolded during the final two years of Biden’s presidency." The extensive sourcing suggests a comprehensive effort to document the concerns and perspectives surrounding Biden’s health within Democratic circles.

In response to the book’s claims, a Biden spokesperson issued a statement to Axios defending the former president’s health. The spokesperson emphasized that Biden’s "medical exam made clear that he had a stiffened gait caused, in part, by wear and tear to his spine, but that no special treatment was necessary and that it had not worsened." The statement went on to argue that Biden was transparent about his physical condition and that it was "far from ‘severe.’"

The spokesperson further countered the book’s implications about Biden’s mental acuity, stating, "Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity." They challenged critics to provide examples of instances where Biden’s mental abilities hindered his performance as president. "And so far," the statement continued, "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. In fact, the evidence points to the opposite: he was a very effective president."

The publisher of the book, Penguin House Publishing, has been contacted for comment. The claims presented in "Original Sin" are likely to generate significant discussion and debate, particularly given the sensitive nature of the topic and its potential implications for future political discourse surrounding age and health in leadership. The book’s release promises to reignite conversations about the challenges of aging in high-pressure positions and the complexities of evaluating a leader’s fitness for office.