In their explosive book Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson expose what they call the “Politburo” — a small, unelected group of insiders who quietly controlled the Biden White House while the president’s cognitive and physical health declined. According to the authors, this group operated in the shadows, making key decisions that shaped the country’s direction, often without involving Cabinet members or publicly accountable officials.
Original Sin is a deeply reported account of Joe Biden’s final years in power. The authors interviewed nearly 200 people, including insiders who spoke off the record. Tapper is a CNN anchor; Thompson is a national political correspondent at Axios. Together, they argue that Biden’s decision to run for a second term was a critical mistake that led to chaos inside the White House and disaster for the Democratic Party. The title, they explain, refers to Biden’s decision to run again despite clear evidence of decline, and to the efforts by his inner circle to hide the truth.
Mike Donilon: The Hidden Political Director
Mike Donilon, a longtime adviser and close confidant of Biden since the 1980s, was one of the most powerful members of the Politburo. Though his title was “senior adviser,” Donilon functioned as the real political director of the White House. His influence was so strong that aides joked he could convince Biden to start a war. Donilon also earned a shocking $4 million salary while helping to run Biden’s 2024 campaign, despite what many saw as a doomed mission. Obama’s former adviser David Axelrod said Donilon was so emotionally attached to Biden that he couldn’t face reality.
Steve Ricchetti: The Enforcer
Steve Ricchetti served as Biden’s counselor and was in many ways the administration’s gatekeeper. He worked closely with Biden during his vice presidency and became a central force in legislative strategy. Ricchetti also took it upon himself to silence critics. When George Clooney published a piece urging Biden to drop out of the race, Ricchetti threatened to “shut Clooney down,” sounding more like a mob boss than a political aide. He even personally called reporters off the record to deny rumors about Biden’s health, despite growing concerns.
Bruce Reed: The Real Policy Brain
Bruce Reed, Biden’s deputy chief of staff for policy, was considered the administration’s true policy architect. Although not widely known to the public, Reed was deeply involved in shaping domestic policy and preparing Biden for critical public appearances — including the disastrous debate against Donald Trump. Reed’s daughter even became Biden’s day scheduler, a sign of how closely the Politburo’s families were tied into the administration.
Ron Klain: The Master Operator
Ron Klain was Biden’s first chief of staff and a central player in every major decision. Even after leaving the White House in 2023, Klain remained a trusted adviser. Biden often deferred to him and admired his intellect, reportedly saying, “Only one person here is smarter than me, and it’s Ron.” Klain’s influence over strategy and messaging lasted beyond his official role, reinforcing the idea that unelected individuals were steering the ship.
Jill Biden: The Guardian
First Lady Jill Biden played a major role in protecting her husband from public embarrassment. She reportedly ran “bubble wrap” operations to shield him from unscripted moments. When staff let Biden speak too long or veer off track, Jill would scold them. Though she had once been a reluctant political spouse, she became a key member of the inner circle, doing everything she could to maintain appearances.
Hunter Biden: The Enabler
Hunter Biden’s presence was more personal, but no less powerful. As Biden’s health declined, Hunter took on the role of emotional protector and political enforcer. According to the book, his personal struggles and legal issues weighed heavily on the president and may have contributed to his decline. Still, he was determined to keep his father in the race and reportedly helped persuade him not to step down — even when signs of collapse were impossible to ignore.
Biden: A Figurehead in His Own Presidency
The authors make clear that Joe Biden still had moments of awareness and decision-making. This wasn’t Weekend at Bernie’s. But the reality, according to Original Sin, was that Biden functioned more like the chairman of a board than an active president. One insider said, “Five people were running the country, and Joe Biden was at best a senior member of the board.” Biden’s work hours were limited. Urgent business had to be done between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and his team kept many staffers and even Cabinet secretaries away from him.
Former President Obama reportedly warned against letting “hangers-on” dominate Biden’s inner circle, fearing humiliation. Cabinet members complained they were frozen out. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, for example, wasn’t consulted on major economic moves. Concerns about Biden’s age and mental fitness were treated as mere political messaging issues, rather than serious warnings. Aides were instructed to keep speeches short and filmed him walking in slow motion to disguise his shuffle.
The most damning part of Original Sin is how thoroughly the American public was kept in the dark. The Politburo, as Tapper and Thompson describe it, did everything it could to maintain the illusion that Biden was fine. Even after the disastrous 2024 debate, many Democratic leaders stayed silent or defended him. One anonymous aide summed up the strategy: “He just had to win, and then he could disappear for four years. He’d only have to show proof of life every once in a while.”
According to the authors, the problem wasn’t just Biden’s decline — it was the willingness of those around him to lie to the public, to donors, and to themselves. Original Sin reveals a deeply troubling picture of a presidency propped up by loyalists who believed they were saving the country, even as they undermined democracy by hiding the truth.
In the end, Tapper and Thompson argue, it wasn’t just Biden who failed the nation. It was the people around him who refused to speak up — and who chose power over honesty.
NP Editor: This research from the left, and it may or may not reflect reality in a really screwed up White House. We suspect that Obama was still substantially influencing events and policies, and of course, deep state actors like Victoria Nuland. But the problem is that no one here was competent, not one in this whole group.
