Original Sin Book Summary

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Jake Tapper’s Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again exposes a complex political and personal tragedy—a presidency sustained by faith, loyalty, and secrecy rather than transparency and accountability. Drawing on over 200 interviews with aides, lawmakers, family associates, and donors, Tapper and coauthor Alex Thompson uncover how President Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline became an open secret within the Democratic Party. The authors reveal how his closest confidants, driven by devotion and fear of Donald Trump’s return, concealed the truth from the public, the media, and even from Biden himself.

The Theology of “Getting Up”

The foundation of Biden’s political identity was resilience. From childhood, his father’s mantra—“It’s not how many times you get knocked down; it’s how quickly you get up”—became a lifelong philosophy. He overcame a debilitating stutter, the tragic death of his wife and daughter in a car crash, and multiple failed presidential runs. Tapper shows that this narrative of survival evolved into something like a creed, a moral obligation to “get up” no matter the cost.

This mindset shaped Biden’s decision to seek reelection. After defeating Trump in 2020, Biden viewed himself as the only man capable of doing it again. In his mind, stepping aside would mean betraying both destiny and democracy. His 2020 success—winning amid a pandemic and leading a deeply polarized nation—reinforced his belief that his perseverance could transcend age and frailty. When aides cautiously raised concerns, he dismissed them as “hand-wringing.” Jill Biden echoed his conviction, telling staff that her husband was “not done yet” and that doubting him was an act of disloyalty.

This “Biden theology,” as Tapper calls it, became a culture of unquestioning faith. Staffers who voiced skepticism were sidelined, while those who affirmed Biden’s vitality gained influence. As one adviser told Tapper, “Questioning Joe was like questioning God.”

The Politburo: The Power Behind the Curtain

Tapper details the inner sanctum of Biden’s White House—a small, fiercely loyal group of aides dubbed “the Politburo.” The three dominant figures were Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, and Bruce Reed. Donilon, Biden’s longtime strategist, acted as a gatekeeper, controlling access to the president and filtering all polling data. Ricchetti, a veteran Washington dealmaker, ran operations with corporate precision, while Reed, a policy technician, coordinated legislative strategy.

These men, Tapper writes, effectively “ran the country while managing the image of a man who could barely run his own schedule.” They tightly limited Biden’s exposure, scripting every interaction. Even Cabinet members complained that they could rarely meet the president directly. Instead, decisions were filtered through the Politburo, which shaped talking points, policy briefings, and even medical updates.

Two figures reinforced this protective barrier: Jill Biden’s aide Anthony Bernal—nicknamed “the loyalty police”—and Annie Tomasini, Biden’s personal aide. Bernal reportedly kept lists of officials who had expressed doubts about the president’s health and worked to freeze them out of key meetings. This culture of fear made honest discussion impossible. “Five people were running the country,” one senior official told Tapper, “and Joe Biden was at best a...

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