A secretive “politburo” of loyalists and family allegedly ran Joe Biden’s White House, sidelining the president himself. According to the explosive book Original Sin, this tight-knit group called the shots while brushing off concerns about Biden’s fading mental sharpness, as the New York Post reports. The revelation paints a presidency less democratic than dynastic.
A small cadre of aides and relatives, including Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Bruce Reed, Ron Klain, Annie Tomasini, Anthony Bernal, Jill Biden, and Hunter Biden, held the reins of power. The book, penned by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper, claims this group acted as the ultimate decision-makers. Their influence often trumped Biden’s agency.
These insiders, many with decades-long ties to Biden, operated like a shadow government. They managed access to the president, keeping cabinet members and aides at arm’s length. This closed circle ensured Biden’s agreement was a formality, not a necessity.
“Five people were running the country,” a White House source told the authors. Biden, at best, was a figurehead, a senior board member in his administration. The notion of a presidency guided by such a select few raises eyebrows about accountability.
The “politburo” dismissed worries about Biden’s age and cognitive decline as mere political liabilities. They believed his policy wins justified a second term, regardless of his fitness. Such arrogance assumes voters care more about resumes than results.
Donilon, a senior adviser with the administration until early 2024, had been a Biden loyalist since the 1980s. His influence was so profound that aides joked he could convince Biden to start a war. Blind devotion like that rarely serves the public good.
Ricchetti, counselor to the president, fiercely defended Biden’s health, even berating critics such as actor George Clooney. His role in legislative battles and past service under Clinton made him a heavyweight. Yet, his off-the-record outbursts suggest a man more loyal to image than truth.
Reed, a policy wonk, effectively ran domestic policy, while Klain, Biden’s first chief of staff, shaped decisions until 2023. Klain’s long history with Biden gave him outsized sway, with Biden himself calling him the smartest in the room. High praise, but it reeks of favoritism over merit.
Jill Biden played gatekeeper, shielding her husband’s public missteps in a strategy dubbed “bubble wrap.” Her influence extended to scolding staff for Biden’s rambling moments. Protecting a president’s ego shouldn’t trump transparency.
Hunter Biden, despite his struggles, was a key force in keeping his father in the 2024 race. His role highlights how family dynamics clouded political judgment. Blood ties don’t guarantee wise counsel.
The “politburo” also brought their kinfolk into the administration. Donilon’s niece landed on the National Security Council, Reed’s daughter scheduled Biden’s days, and Ricchetti’s children nabbed government gigs. Nepotism thrives when power concentrates in so few hands.
Former President Barack Obama, wary of Biden’s orbit during the 2020 campaign, avoided such insularity. He engaged with mid-level aides, unlike Biden, who leaned on his politburo and security advisers. Obama’s caution about “hangers-on” proved prescient.
“They would make huge economic decisions without calling [Treasury] Secretary Yellen,” a cabinet secretary lamented. This exclusion of key officials underscores the politburo’s unchecked authority. Governance by a clique rarely ends well.
Author Alex Thompson described the group as a “small group of people” running the White House like a communist politburo. Co-author Jake Tapper insisted Biden retained “some agency,” but admitted aides kept staff and cabinet at bay. That’s a damning admission of a presidency on autopilot.
Released on May 20, Original Sin pulls back the curtain on a White House more loyal to itself than to the nation. The politburo’s grip ensured Biden’s presidency was less about leadership and more about legacy. Turns out, unchecked power breeds complacency, not progress.
