Biden's Decline: Cabinet Secretaries Describe Shrinking Inner Circle and Presidential Isolation

The final year of Joe Biden's presidency saw a significant decline in his physical and mental health, with some cabinet secretaries questioning whether he could be relied upon to make decisions at critical moments. According to a new book by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, several cabinet members reported that Biden's inner circle had shrunk so much that even they were excluded from key decisions. As a result, cabinet secretaries found themselves briefing senior White House aides, who then briefed the president.

Key Takeaways:

• Several cabinet secretaries told Tapper and Thompson that Biden's inner circle grew smaller in 2023 and 2024, with some even being excluded from key decisions.
• By 2024, access to Biden had dropped off considerably, with some cabinet members going months without seeing him.
• Cabinet secretaries reported that instead of briefing Biden directly, they would brief senior White House aides, who would then brief the president.
• Several cabinet members expressed concerns about Biden's decline, with one secretary stating that it was "strange" that the president's inner circle seemed to be shaping his decision-making.
• The authors spoke to multiple Biden cabinet secretaries who described experiences with Biden's decline, including one secretary who reported that the president would sometimes be "mumbling and not making much sense."
• A third cabinet secretary told Tapper and Thompson that the White House had a "deliberate strategy" to limit Biden's interactions with the cabinet, keeping him isolated from potential criticism or bad news.
• Biden's close aides were reportedly more concerned with keeping him happy and shielding him from news about his own decline than with addressing the underlying issues.

Statistics:

• By 2024, access to Biden had dropped off considerably, with some cabinet members going months without seeing him.
• Over 200 interviews were conducted for Tapper and Thompson's book, mostly with Democratic insiders, almost all after the 2024 election was over.
• Biden had been showing signs of decline over and over again that were either ignored or explained away even before his disastrous June 2024 debate.

Sources:

• CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again"
• Statement to CNN from a Biden spokesman, criticizing the book.
• CNN, "Book claims Joe Biden's inner circle shielded him from issues and critics"