What will I learn about: how President Biden's delayed withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race severely damaged his party's chances and left his successor with an insurmountable disadvantage?

Understand how President Biden's delayed withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race severely damaged his party's chances and left his successor with an insurmountable disadvantage.

What will I learn about: why insiders pinpoint the tragic loss of his son Beau and the legal struggles of his son Hunter as the pivotal emotional triggers that accelerated Biden's cognitive and physical decline?

Discover why insiders pinpoint the tragic loss of his son Beau and the legal struggles of his son Hunter as the pivotal emotional triggers that accelerated Biden's cognitive and physical decline.

What will I learn about: Learn how Biden’s lifelong personal mythology of bouncing back from tragedy—summed up by the mantra 'Get up!'—ultimately created a warped reality that blinded him to his own limitations?

Learn how Biden’s lifelong personal mythology of bouncing back from tragedy—summed up by the mantra 'Get up!'—ultimately created a warped reality that blinded him to his own limitations.

What will I learn about: Uncover the immense power held by the 'Politburo,' an insular group of fiercely loyal aides who essentially ran the country and bypassed top cabinet officials to protect the President?

Uncover the immense power held by the 'Politburo,' an insular group of fiercely loyal aides who essentially ran the country and bypassed top cabinet officials to protect the President.

What will I learn about: how the White House meticulously orchestrated a coverup of the President's failing health through tightly choreographed schedules, restricted access, and the deliberate avoidance of standard cognitive exams?

Find out how the White House meticulously orchestrated a coverup of the President's failing health through tightly choreographed schedules, restricted access, and the deliberate avoidance of standard cognitive exams.

Original Sin

President Biden’s Decline and His Disastrous Second Run

Jake Tapper, Alex Thompson

★ 4.2 / 5(5 ratings)

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Society & Culture Politics

If You're Curious About These Questions...

You should listen to this audiobook

💡Have you ever wondered what was actually happening behind the closed doors of the White House while the public was being told a completely different story about the President's health?
💡Are you curious about the secret role President Biden’s closest family members and advisors played in maintaining a narrative that insiders privately called a 'catastrophe'?
💡Did you know that hundreds of interviews with political elites reveal a shocking level of delusion and deception that nearly changed the course of the 2024 election?

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Key Takeaways from Original Sin

✓Understand how President Biden's delayed withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race severely damaged his party's chances and left his successor with an insurmountable disadvantage.
✓Discover why insiders pinpoint the tragic loss of his son Beau and the legal struggles of his son Hunter as the pivotal emotional triggers that accelerated Biden's cognitive and physical decline.
✓Learn how Biden’s lifelong personal mythology of bouncing back from tragedy—summed up by the mantra 'Get up!'—ultimately created a warped reality that blinded him to his own limitations.
✓Uncover the immense power held by the 'Politburo,' an insular group of fiercely loyal aides who essentially ran the country and bypassed top cabinet officials to protect the President.
✓Find out how the White House meticulously orchestrated a coverup of the President's failing health through tightly choreographed schedules, restricted access, and the deliberate avoidance of standard cognitive exams.

Learning Tools

Reinforce what you learned from Original Sin

Mind Map

Original Sin

Roots of Decline+

Psychology of Denial+

The Cover-Up+

The 2024 Campaign+

The Exposés+

Fallout & Succession+

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Question 1 of 8

According to the book, what was the ultimate consequence of Biden’s delayed decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race?

A. It caused a constitutional crisis regarding the 25th Amendment.
B. It left his successor, Kamala Harris, with too little time to successfully defeat Donald Trump.
C. It allowed a third-party candidate to severely fracture the Democratic voter base.
D. It forced the Democratic Party to rely on superdelegates to choose the nominee.

Question 2 of 8

While Biden was always prone to gaffes, many closest to him pinpointed what specific event as the catalyst for his earnest cognitive decline?

A. The grueling 2020 presidential campaign against Donald Trump.
B. The severe case of COVID-19 he contracted early in his presidency.
C. The brain aneurysm he suffered shortly after his 1988 presidential run.
D. The death of his son Beau from brain cancer in 2015.

Question 3 of 8

How did Biden’s personal ethos, summarized by the phrase 'Get up!', negatively impact his 2024 campaign?

A. It fostered a culture of denial where aging and ailments were ignored in favor of a 'rose-tinted lie.'
B. It caused him to alienate younger voters who preferred a more empathetic approach.
C. It made him overly aggressive and hostile during the presidential debates.
D. It led him to fire key advisors who suggested he take a more relaxed campaign schedule.

Question 4 of 8

Why did Biden’s inner circle, referred to as the 'Politburo,' privately consider the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020 a 'blessing in disguise'?

A. It gave Biden a unifying national crisis to rally voters around and boost his approval ratings.
B. It allowed Biden to campaign remotely, avoid travel, and schedule events mostly in the afternoon.
C. It shifted the media's focus away from Hunter Biden's legal troubles.
D. It forced the cancellation of primary debates where his cognitive decline would be obvious.

Question 5 of 8

Which of the following was an unusual accommodation used by Biden’s staff to help conceal his decline from the public?

A. Utilizing AI voice-generation software for his radio interviews.
B. Replacing live press conferences entirely with pre-recorded video statements.
C. Having Vice President Kamala Harris answer all unscripted questions on his behalf.
D. Bringing in Hollywood director Steven Spielberg to improve his lighting and audio during appearances.

Question 6 of 8

What event convinced Biden and his inner circle that he not only should, but deserved to run for reelection in 2024, leading them to bypass standard polling?

A. The Democrats' surprisingly strong performance in the 2022 midterms.
B. The successful passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
C. Internal polling showing him with a double-digit lead over Donald Trump.
D. The lack of any credible primary challengers within the Democratic Party.

Question 7 of 8

What was the primary reason Special Counsel Robert Hur concluded that no criminal charges were warranted against Biden for mishandling classified documents?

A. The documents were planted by political operatives to damage his campaign.
B. Hur believed a jury would view Biden as a well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory, making it hard to prove willful intent.
C. As a former Vice President, Biden had broad declassification authority that protected him from prosecution.
D. The investigation found no evidence that Biden actually possessed the classified materials in question.

Question 8 of 8

What pivotal interaction finally prompted Joe Biden to seriously consider dropping out of the 2024 race?

A. A confrontational phone call with Barack Obama about his polling numbers.
B. An intervention organized by his inner circle, the 'Politburo.'
C. A public letter signed by over fifty Democratic governors demanding his resignation.
D. A one-on-one meeting where Senator Chuck Schumer warned him he was on track to become a 'dark figure' in history.

Original Sin — Full Chapter Overview

1Recommendation
2The signs were obvious
3Stand up!
4Biden’s Politburo
5The inner circle’s concealment
6To run or to bow out
7Secrets
8Debate debacle
9Transition

Original Sin Summary & Overview

Original Sin (2025) is a damning, in-depth exposé of President Biden’s physical and mental deterioration, his inner circle’s attempts to cover it up, and the resulting catastrophe of Biden’s 2024 presidential run. Drawing from hundreds of interviews, it’s packed with shocking, candid commentary from behind the closed doors of politics’ upper echelons. Ultimately, it tells a disturbing tale of hubris, delusion, and deception –⁠ by Biden, the Democratic Party, and a coalition of his closest family and advisors.

Who Should Listen to Original Sin?

Politics buffs
Students of political science or communications
Fans of political and historical thrillers

About the Author: Jake Tapper, Alex Thompson

Jake Tapper is CNN’s chief Washington correspondent and the anchor of The Lead and State of the Union. He received an Emmy Award in 2009, is a three-time winner of the Merriman Smith Memorial Award for presidential coverage, and has moderated multiple presidential debates. He is a best selling author of both fiction and nonfiction books, including The Hellfire Club, The Devil May Dance, and The Outpost.

Alex Thompson is the national political correspondent for Axios and a CNN contributor. He previously served as POLITICO’s White House correspondent, where he co-created the West Wing Playbook newsletter. His reporting on the Biden administration earned him the White House Correspondents’ Association Aldo Beckman Award in 2025.

Original Sin

If You're Curious About These Questions...

Listen to Original Sin — Free Audiobook

Key Takeaways from Original Sin

Learning Tools

Mind Map

Quiz — Test Your Understanding

Original Sin — Full Chapter Overview

Original Sin Summary & Overview

Who Should Listen to Original Sin?

About the Author: Jake Tapper, Alex Thompson

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