Concerns About Biden’s Health in New Book
A new book suggests that former President Joe Biden’s deputy chief of staff implemented troubling tactics with journalists investigating his mental and physical health. “Original Singh,” written by Jake Tupper and Alex Thompson, refers to a controversial story from the Wall Street Journal. Concerns about Biden’s decline, raised in June, were adamantly denied by Steve Richetti, the former White House deputy chief of staff, to another journalist.
The book notes that a reporter had heard from White House aides about alarming incidents where the president reportedly forgot his name or facts and appeared confused during meetings.
According to the authors, reporters reached out to White House press members but were met with aggression. Richetti even contacted one reporter on background, implying that if she proceeded with the story based on anonymous sources, the White House would push back publicly, essentially labeling her as untruthful. This implicit threat, according to the book, was effective.
The Biden administration also reportedly instructed Democrats who spoke to the Wall Street Journal to counter claims of Biden’s mental decline. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and other cabinet members dismissed the article as nonsense and defended Biden’s acuity, saying he is present, knowledgeable, and capable of tackling complex issues.
Other media outlets have also faced backlash from the Biden administration for trying to discuss potentially detrimental narratives regarding Biden’s health. The New York Times was informed that the president was “very upset” about reporting related to his age, highlighting the challenges in discussing his health openly.
Former CNN journalist Chris Chiliza described the effort to cover Biden’s condition as frustrating, reflecting a broader issue where the administration seems overly concerned about the narrative around the president’s health.
Thompson remarked at a recent White House correspondent’s dinner that the situation underscores how any administration, regardless of its political affiliation, can mislead the public.
