Democrat leaders of the House and Senate both faced tough questions on Tuesday about Joe Biden’s mental health and his fitness to serve.
Representative Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Chuck Schumer were grilled ahead of the release of CNN anchor Jake Tapper’s bombshell book about the Democrat party’s alleged efforts to cover up the former president’s mental decline.
Why It Matters
The Democrats’ 2024 losses have been attributed, in part, to Biden’s decision to run again despite concerns about his age and health. He eventually bowed out in July, leaving Democrats to scramble to find another candidate before the election.
It became clear to many Americans that Biden was no longer a viable presidential candidate after his disastrous performance in the June 27 presidential debate. Biden’s shocking performance not only raised serious questions about his health and ability but also about how much other Democrats knew—and whether they were trying to cover it up.
Tapper has now written a book Original Sin, coauthored with Axios’ Alex Thompson, which paints a damning picture of an aging president protected by his inner circle and Democratic elites.
Aaron Schwartz/AP
What To Know
On Tuesday, Schumer was asked about his meeting with Biden in the Oval Office in February 2024, just a few weeks before he announced he was running for a second term.
“I’m interested to know whether the man you saw sitting there on that couch on that day, you were in there, you saw him up close and personal, did you really not have any idea that he was he wasn’t fit to serve a second term?” CNN’s Kasie Hunt asked when Schumer appeared on the network.
Schumer declined to answer, responding, “Kasie, we’re looking forward. We have the largest Medicaid cut in front of us–“
But he was interrupted by Hunt, asking, “That’s it?”
“That’s it,” he said.
Jeffries was also asked about Tapper’s new book and its claims about Biden on Tuesday, to which he shared a very similar response to Schumer.
“We’re not looking backward. We’re looking forward at this particular moment in time,” he told reporters.
What People Are Saying
CNN anchor Jake Tapper, in a statement announcing his new book: “Toni Morrison once said ‘If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.’ That’s what inspired this book: we wanted to know more about what we all just lived through. More than 200 interviews later, Alex and I have a much better idea. And soon you all will too.”
Penguin Press, the publisher of Tapper’s upcoming book, in a press release: “What you will learn makes President Biden’s decision to run for reelection seem shockingly narcissistic, self-delusional, and reckless — a desperate bet that went bust — and part of a larger act of extended public deception that has few precedents.”
What Happens Next
Tapper’s book, titled Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, is set to be released on May 20.
Update 05/13/25 7:37 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to include additional information.
