Overview

• Excerpts from the upcoming book ‘Original Sin’ reveal aides privately discussed using a wheelchair for Biden due to severe physical decline, but ruled it out during the campaign for political reasons.
• The book alleges Biden’s cognitive and physical struggles were concealed from the public and even some White House staff beginning in 2023.
• Senior Democrats, including Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer, warned Biden about his electability, with Schumer cautioning his legacy was at stake if he stayed in the race.
• Biden’s late withdrawal following a poor debate performance in June 2024 left Kamala Harris with limited time to mount a viable campaign, a move criticized by top Democratic strategists.
• Biden’s team has pushed back on the book’s claims, asserting his medical exams showed no mental incapacity and describing his physical changes as normal aging.