A bombshell new book exposes the ways in which Joe Biden’s loyal spokesman was used as a pawn to mask the president’s faltering mental sharpness. Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson unveils a White House strategy to silence questions about the then-commander in chief's health, as Fox News reports. It’s a tale of loyalty exploited and truth suppressed.
The book, penned by CNN’s Tapper and Thompson 0f Axios, claims former deputy press secretary Andrew Bates was a key defender of Biden’s mental acuity, despite rarely seeing the president himself. It alleges that Biden’s inner circle fed Bates information, leaving him to parrot their narrative without firsthand knowledge.
Bates, second only to press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in handling media, became the public face dismissing concerns about Biden’s age and health. He relied on senior staff for details about the president’s condition, a dependency the book says was exploited. The White House’s goal? Control the narrative at all costs.
“Some of Bates’s colleagues believed that Biden’s inner circle took advantage of his loyalty and told him to deny things they knew were true,” the authors write. That’s a polite way of saying Bates was set up to take the fall. Loyalty to Biden blinded him to the truth he was selling.
The book details a Biden campaign and White House “modus operandi” of attacking journalists who dared report on the president’s decline. Reporters faced shaming and pushback to discourage coverage of Biden’s age or mental slips. It’s the kind of media bullying that thrives in a woke echo chamber.
Weeks before a Wall Street Journal story on Biden’s struggles, a national news outlet reporter heard from aides about the president’s “serious and disturbing” moments, like forgetting names or seeming confused. The White House press office pounced, disputing the claims aggressively. Former deputy chief of staff Steve Ricchetti even called the reporter to deny the story off the record.
Ricchetti’s call wasn’t just a defense -- it was a warning. The book says the White House aimed to paint the reporter as a liar if she published, scaring her into abandoning the story. That’s not transparency; it is intimidation dressed up as press management.
Two weeks after a disastrous Biden debate performance, Bates took to X to praise the president’s competence. “Joe Biden does not have a doctorate in foreign affairs. He’s just that f---ing good,” he posted. The book calls this sycophantic, a tone-deaf echo of Biden’s inner circle’s delusions.
“[The remark] reflected the views of the Politburo, but among professional Democrats, it became an instant legend for its sycophancy,” the authors note. Bates’ blind devotion didn’t just hurt his credibility -- it fueled a false narrative. Actions have consequences, and this post has aged like milk.
Bates pushed back, calling the book’s narrative “distorted” and selective. “This gets important facts wrong,” a former Biden staffer echoed, defending Bates’ role as a senior spokesperson who traveled with Biden and handled major issues. But their protests sound like damage control for a sinking ship.
The staffer insisted that Bates met Biden in the Oval Office, on Air Force One, and across the country, painting him as a trusted insider. They also claimed he was respectful when colleagues dodged tough interviews. Yet the book’s core charge -- that Bates was fed a script -- remains unanswered.
The book’s release has ignited fierce debate, with some slamming the media and Biden’s team for allegedly burying the truth about his decline. Fox News Digital, for example, long reported on Biden’s cognitive struggles, pointing to his inner circle’s role in the cover-up. The silence from mainstream outlets only fuels suspicion.
Naomi Biden, the president’s granddaughter, dismissed the book as “silly” and “political fairy smut.” Her flippant response sidesteps the serious allegations of a coordinated effort to mislead the public. It’s the kind of deflection you’d expect from a family in denial.
A Biden spokesperson insisted the book doesn’t prove a cover-up or show that the president was ever failing in his duties. “Joe Biden was an effective president who led our country with empathy and skill,” they claimed. But empathy doesn’t erase the reality of a leader struggling behind closed doors.
CNN, Tapper’s network, faced backlash for promoting the book, with critics like Jon Stewart and ABC's The View piling on. The spokesperson’s claim that national security was never at risk feels like a weak dodge. If Biden’s team hid his decline, what else did they conceal?
