The Original Sin – A Sharp Summary of Biden’s Fall & the Road Back to Trump

The Original Sin: Biden’s Decline, the Cover-Up, and the Catastrophic Decision to Run Again

By Jake Tapper & Alex Thompson
Summary and Analytical Review

🔎 Framing the Narrative: A Political Tragedy Unfolds

“The real tragedy of 2024 is not that Biden ran and lost — it’s that he ran when he didn’t have to.”

In The Original Sin, journalists Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson unravel one of the most consequential political gambles in modern U.S. history: President Joe Biden’s decision to seek re-election in 2024 — despite widespread internal concerns over his declining physical and cognitive health.

Relying on over 200 inside sources, the book dissects not just a personal decision, but a systemic failure: a failure of political judgment, media scrutiny, and democratic accountability. The title — a reference to Biden’s “original sin” — encapsulates what the authors consider the root cause of the Democratic defeat that returned Donald Trump to the White House.

🧠 The Core Hypothesis: Biden's Decision as the "Original Sin"

A Delusional Determination
The authors argue that Biden broke a tacit promise: that he would serve as a “bridge” president, paving the way for a younger generation of Democratic leadership. Instead, driven by what they call “a messianic belief” in his unique ability to defeat Trump, he insisted on running for a second term — despite ample warning signs.

“In trying to avoid his fate, Biden created it.” — Jake Tapper

This tragic irony, drawn from Greek drama, serves as the philosophical anchor of the book.

🧓 Signs of Decline and the Machinery of Denial

📉 Early Warnings (2015–2020)

Following the death of his son Beau in 2015, close aides began to observe a subtle but lasting change in Biden’s cognitive sharpness.

A senior campaign aide described Biden’s video appearances in 2020 as “like watching your grandfather drive a car he shouldn’t be driving.”
His public speaking became increasingly meandering, requiring teleprompters and note cards even in private meetings.

🏛️ Acceleration in Office (2021–2023)

COVID-era Isolation: The pandemic enabled a tightly controlled communications strategy. Biden met fewer journalists and Cabinet members.
Alarming Anecdotes: In a 2023 visit to Ireland, a Democratic lawmaker remarked, “He looked like my father weeks before he died.”
Physical and Cognitive Struggles:
- Forgetting the date of Beau’s death.
- Failing to recognize actor George Clooney during a fundraiser.
- Increasing reliance on cue cards and aides even during informal encounters.
- Internal discussions about a wheelchair for a potential second term.

🛡️ The "Politburo" and the Architecture of Concealment

A small inner circle — dubbed the “Politburo” by staffers — took charge of shielding Biden from scrutiny. It included:

Bruce Reed
Mike Donilon
Steve Ricchetti
Ron Klain
Dr. Jill Biden

Their tactics:

Media Management: Releasing slow-motion video edits to mask his unsteady gait.
Limited Access: Preventing unvetted interactions with press and Democratic lawmakers.
Aggressive Spin: Dismissing or discrediting any reports questioning his acuity — including the Robert Hur special counsel report describing Biden as a “sympathetic, elderly man with a poor memory.”

📺 The Breaking Point: Debate Night, June 27, 2024

During the CNN debate — moderated by Jake Tapper himself — the mask fell. Biden visibly faltered:

He lost track of thoughts mid-sentence.
He muttered: “We finally beat health care…” — a baffling line that became an instant symbol of concern.

“I remember wondering if he could even finish the 90 minutes,” Tapper writes.
“This wasn’t just a bad performance — it was the end of the campaign.”

🧠 Internal Fallout: Panic Behind Closed Doors

The debate performance didn’t just rattle viewers — it triggered an immediate crisis among Democratic operatives, donors, and media figures.

David Plouffe, former senior advisor to Barack Obama, reportedly said:

“We f**ed Biden. Waiting three weeks after the debate to withdraw destroyed us.”*

George Clooney, who had just attended a fundraiser with Biden, penned a bombshell op-ed in The New York Times:

“The man I saw at the fundraiser was not the Joe Biden of 2020 — and we all knew it.”

Democratic governors, members of Congress, and even long-time allies began quietly pushing for Biden to withdraw — but the “Politburo” refused.

🛡️ The Media's Complicity and Crisis of Trust

Tapper and Thompson don’t spare the media in their critique. They argue that many major outlets:

Soft-pedaled early signs of decline
Avoided hard-hitting questions for fear of “helping Trump”
Echoed White House talking points rather than challenging them

A quote from an unnamed network editor is particularly damning:

“Everyone knew. But no one wanted to be the one who broke the illusion.”

📉 A President in Decline: Health, Denial, and the White House Spin Machine

Despite a growing number of on-record concerns, the Biden White House maintained an aggressive PR campaign to downplay all signs of frailty:

Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre dismissed questions about Biden’s memory as “ageist attacks.”
Leaked memos showed media outlets were sent “suggested language” to describe Biden as “sharp and decisive.”
Even after the Robert Hur report — which legally cleared Biden but described him as a forgetful elderly man — the administration doubled down on his reelection viability.

⚖️ The Moral Reckoning: Was It All Avoidable?

The authors ask: What if someone — anyone — had intervened earlier?

They paint a chilling picture of collective denial, where fear of Trump, personal loyalty, and institutional inertia combined to silence dissent.

“It wasn’t just a man who failed to step aside. It was an entire system that failed to speak the truth.”

📉 The People Respond: Approval Craters and Public Fatigue

Following the debate debacle, Biden’s approval rating plummeted to 36%, the lowest point of his presidency.

In swing states like Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona, internal polling showed dramatic erosion among:

Young voters, who once saw him as a stabilizing figure
Black and Latino voters, disillusioned by economic hardship and political stagnation
Suburban moderates, shaken by doubts about his mental sharpness

A powerful quote from a Pennsylvania organizer captures the moment:

“We weren’t just losing votes. We were losing belief.”

🧩 Democratic Fractures: Loyalty, Panic, and the Search for a Plan B

Even as public pressure mounted, the Democratic establishment remained paralyzed:

Vice President Kamala Harris remained publicly loyal — but her aides leaked frustration at being “shielded from the truth”
Gavin Newsom, Gretchen Whitmer, and other high-profile governors faced intense pressure to mount late bids
Barack Obama, once a Biden whisperer, reportedly urged him to “reflect deeply on the stakes”

Still, the "Politburo" circle clung to the idea that Biden — weakened or not — was the only glue holding the party together.

🧠 Lessons from a Collapse: What 2024 Taught Us About Power and Denial

Tapper and Thompson argue that Biden’s candidacy revealed a systemic failure in American democracy:

The illusion of inevitability: Party leaders convinced themselves no viable alternatives existed
Fear-based decision-making: The dread of another Trump term became justification for anything
Silencing dissent: From think tanks to media outlets, anyone raising concerns was branded disloyal

The authors summarize:

“Democracy doesn’t die in darkness. It dies in silence.”

🏛️ The Tragic Legacy: Biden’s Arc from Savior to Cautionary Tale

Despite legislative wins — from the Inflation Reduction Act to CHIPS funding — Biden’s legacy is now clouded by his refusal to step aside:

“He entered history as the man who saved democracy in 2020. He may leave as the man who handed it back to its enemy.”

Political historians compare his downfall to King Lear, consumed not by malice, but by hubris, loyalty, and love for country turned blind.

⚖️ A Moral Reckoning: Can Truth Survive Party Loyalty?

In the closing chapters, Tapper and Thompson confront a moral paradox:

Is loyalty to a leader more important than loyalty to truth?
Does shielding the public from uncomfortable realities protect democracy — or corrode it from within?

They argue that the Democratic establishment, media, and even voters were complicit — not just in Biden’s decline, but in enabling the illusion of his invincibility.

“The sin wasn’t just Biden’s decision. It was our silence.”

🧬 What Broke: A System, Not Just a Man

Rather than a personal takedown, the book dissects a structural malfunction in the American political machine:

The myth of the indispensable man turned a faltering president into an untouchable symbol
Gatekeeping by elites replaced transparency with curated images and choreographed speeches
The media’s failure to challenge the narrative for fear of aiding the opposition