In a recent book, former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre commented that President Biden didn’t exhibit noticeable cognitive decline or health issues prior to his decision to withdraw from the 2024 election.
Jean-Pierre, who was part of Biden’s inner circle, stated, “I watched Biden every day, and I didn’t see that kind of decline” in her book, “The Independent: Outside Party Lines, Inside a Broken White House.” She hasn’t read “Original Sin: The Decline of the Biden Presidency, Its Cover-up, and the Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” written by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, which discusses how associates of Biden allegedly hid signs of his cognitive decline during his presidency and campaign.
“I’ve never read Mr. Tapper’s book, nor do I plan to, because it doesn’t align with my observations in the White House,” Jean-Pierre noted.
She claimed that questions from reporters about Biden’s performance in the 2024 debates were unjustified, pointing out, for example, that Trump had an extended, erratic performance without similar scrutiny. Jean-Pierre remarked that Trump “used the microphone to make obscene gestures” yet no reporter inquired about the attending physician.
Additionally, she insisted that Biden’s prostate cancer diagnosis wouldn’t hinder his re-election efforts, stating it wasn’t directly linked to his cognitive abilities and would not compromise his decision-making skills as a leader.
Tapper and Thompson’s book touches on concerns regarding Biden’s cognitive health and mentions considerations among aides about the possibility of placing him in a wheelchair if he were to be re-elected.
Throughout his campaign, Biden has maintained that he is capable of serving as commander-in-chief both during his presidency and beyond. He recently completed radiation therapy for prostate cancer, following a diagnosis characterized by a high Gleason score and bone metastases. Earlier this month, his spokesperson noted that he received hormone treatment due to being “hormone sensitive.”
Biden expressed gratitude for the support he has received since his diagnosis, stating, “Cancer affects us all, and like many of you, Jill and I have learned that we are strongest in the broken places.”
