Biden's Cognitive Decline

Extracted Attributes

• Book Title

  Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again

• Book Authors

  Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson

• Book Publisher

  Penguin Random House

• Primary Allegation

  White House cover-up of cognitive diminishment

• Subject of Concern

  Joe Biden's age and health

• Book Publication Date

  2025-05-20

• Political Impact (Democrats)

  Disarray, calls for new nominee

• Political Impact (Republicans)

  Investigations into Biden's cognitive abilities

• Biden's Stance on Cognitive Exam

  Declined to undergo, stating presidential duties are a daily test

• Observations by Officials/Foreign Leaders

  Increasingly frail, tired, meandering, and confused in speech

Timeline

• Reporting indicates the presence of 'two Bidens' (functioning and non-functioning), though mostly functioning, according to the book 'Original Sin'. (Source: Web search)

  2019

• Mike Johnson, Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, states his belief that Joe Biden is experiencing cognitive decline. (Source: Web search)

  2023-10

• Reporting shows the presence of 'two Bidens' (functioning and non-functioning), according to the book 'Original Sin'. (Source: Web search)

  2023-Fall

• It was reported that a neurologist was involved in discussions regarding a cognitive exam for President Biden. (Source: Web search)

  2024-07-XX

• President Biden's debate performance, described as 'disastrous', sparked further concerns and contributed to the reporting for the book 'Original Sin'. (Source: Web search)

  2024-XX-XX

• The book 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again' by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson is published by Penguin Random House. (Source: Wikipedia)

  2025-05-20

• Senate Republicans announce plans to launch a probe into President Joe Biden's cognitive abilities while in office. (Source: Web search)

  2025-05-30

• Dr. Kevin O'Connor, Biden's doctor, declines to answer questions during his deposition in front of the House Oversight Committee. (Source: Web search)

  2025-07-XX

• Former Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients testifies to House Oversight Committee investigators that Biden's decision-making slowed and his difficulty remembering dates and names worsened over time. (Source: Web search)

  2025-09-18

Original Sin (Tapper and Thompson book)

Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again is a 2025 non-fiction book by the American journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson. It was published by Penguin Random House on May 20, 2025. It details the claims of a cover-up regarding Joe Biden's age and health during his presidency and reelection campaign, leading up to the 2024 presidential election.

Web Search Results

• Age and health concerns about Joe Biden - Wikipedia

  In an October 2023 interview, Mike Johnson, the Republican Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, was asked whether he believed Biden was experiencing cognitive decline. Johnson answered, "I do, I think most of us do. That's reality. It's not a personal slight to him, it has to do with age and acumen, and everyone's different. Everyone ages differently. Clearly, if you look at a tape of Joe Biden making an argument in the Senate Judiciary Committee a few years ago, and you see a speech [...] During Biden's presidency, Trump and right-wing media "Alternative media (U.S. political right)") outlets continued to make claims of dementia and cognitive decline regarding Biden.( The Biden administration routinely aimed to make light of the president's age by poking fun and joking about it in a manner similar to the way in which President Ronald Reagan responded to age-related concerns. When used by the Biden administration, this approach was met with both praise and mockery.( The Biden [...] Many officials and foreign leaders who had encountered Biden in the months preceding the debate stated that he had been increasingly frail, tired, meandering, and confused in his speech. In many parts of Europe, this led to concern about a second Trump presidency.( Biden declined to undergo a cognitive exam such as the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, saying that he had "a cognitive test every single day" in performing his presidential duties.( In early July, it was reported that a neurologist

• Book claims to outline Biden's cognitive decline, staff cover-up - NPR

  A forthcoming book by two political reporters claims to reveal extensive details about the physical and cognitive decline of former President Joe Biden and what the authors describe as a concerted effort by his aides to keep it hidden from public view. [...] Interview highlights David Axelrod says book's allegations about Biden's cognitive decline are 'troubling' By Michel Martin , Majd Al-Waheidi David Axelrod discusses allegations of former President Biden's declining health David Axelrod asks Pete Buttigieg questions during an event at the University of Chicago on Oct. 18, 2019. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption [...] Tapper and Thompson argue in their book that Biden's decision to run for reelection at 81 was the "original sin" of the 2024 race, followed by what they describe as "aggressive efforts to hide his cognitive diminishment."

• GOP senators plan hearing on Biden's perceived cognitive decline

  # GOP senators plan hearing on Biden's perceived cognitive decline Sen. Cornyn has also asked for a DOJ investigation into Biden's health ByIsabella Murray May 30, 2025, 3:55 PM Senate Republicans have announced plans to launch their own probe into former President Joe Biden over his cognitive abilities while in office, claiming they want to investigate who was running the country during what they call Biden's decline. [...] On Friday, after delivering his first public remarks since his office announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Biden responded to reporters who asked him about Democrats who say he shouldn't have run again. "Why didn't they run against me then? Because I'd have beaten them," Biden said, adding that he has no regrets. Biden denied any accusations of mental decline, saying that he's proud of his record as president. [...] News of the upcoming hearing comes after Cornyn penned a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi last week, urging the Justice Department to investigate whether the Biden administration was being lawful in how they presented his cognitive condition to the country. He asked that the Justice Department open a probe into "any potential violations of federal law surrounding the representations made to the American people about the health and wellbeing" of Biden.

• New book details how Biden's mental decline was kept from voters

  David Axelrod says book's allegations about Biden's cognitive decline are 'troubling' On using the phrase "cover-up" Thompson: If it wasn't a cover up, then why were so many people surprised by the debate? Beginning in fall of 2023, our reporting shows, based on the interviews of over 200 people, that there were two Bidens: there was a functioning Biden and non-functioning Biden. And that goes back to 2019. But he was almost always functioning Biden. [...] It's one of several jarring moments reported in the new book, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, by CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson. It chronicles Biden's decline over his time in the White House, as well as efforts by his top staff to keep that decline hidden from voters. [...] Last week, a spokesperson from Biden's office said, "We're 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." This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity. Interview highlights On the presidential debate night that sparked the book:

• Former Biden chief of staff Jeff Zients testifies in probe of ... - CNN

  Zients told House Oversight Committee investigators on Thursday that Biden’s decision-making slowed during the course of the administration and that the former president’s difficulty remembering dates and names worsened over time, the person told CNN. The interview was part of the Republican-led panel’s ongoing investigation into Biden’s mental decline, where investigators have spoken to a number of Biden’s closest former aides. Ad Feedback [...] After Biden’s disastrous debate performance last year, Zients shared that he recommended Biden’s doctor, Dr. Kevin O’Connor, give a full medical workup, including a cognitive exam, and O’Connor said he would take the suggestion under advisement, the individual shared. Zients declined to comment to CNN on the testimony. O’Connor declined to answer questions during his deposition in front of the committee in July.