FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Biden's first White House chief of staff remained influential even after his departure in February 2023. Although he often disagreed politically with the president, the latter highly valued his intelligence...
The specter of a new “Watergate” is looming over Washington, with revelations about former President Joe Biden’s presidency that have sparked a flurry of revelations that some, including CNN’s Jake Tapper, who wrote a book about it with Axios’ Alex Thompson, argue surpass the seriousness of the 1970s scandal.
Specifically, the CNN host said that the coverage of the former president's cognitive problems could be "worse than Watergate." The statement was made during an interview with Piers Morgan on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Monday, on the occasion of the launch of his new book Original Sin, which he co-wrote with Axios journalist Alex Thompson.
Morgan read an excerpt from the book: “Joe Biden is not Richard Nixon, and the cover-up of his deteriorating health is not Watergate,” and commented: “I’m not entirely sure I agree with that conclusion, Jake.”
Tupper replied: “It’s a scandal. Without a doubt – and maybe even worse than Watergate, in a way, because Richard Nixon was self-conscious when he wasn’t drinking.”
The role of partners and the power of authority
Tupper later explained that he and Thompson included the above phrase in the book after a discussion with Watergate prosecutor Archibald Cox, who spoke to them about the power of the institution of the presidency and how presidents are surrounded by people who have a vested interest in keeping the president in power.
Biden's age and the debate that changed everything
Donald Trump and his allies have long argued that Biden - who was 77 when he was elected in 2020 and is now 82 - was too old to seek a second term and was showing signs of cognitive decline.
Democrats dismissed these allegations at the time. But in June 2024, the picture changed dramatically, when Biden had an extremely difficult performance in a live televised debate against Trump, moderated by Tapper and Dana Bass.
That performance prompted months of intense pressure on the president to drop out of the race. In the end, Biden announced his withdrawal, handing the baton to his vice president, Kamala Harris, who was defeated by Trump in the November election.
Criticism about the timing of the book's publication
Tupper and Thompson have been criticized for the timing of the book's publication, most notably by Jon Stewart of The Daily Show, who argued that they should have disclosed what they knew earlier. The book's promotion has also been complicated by Biden's recent announcement that he has prostate cancer.
Tapper defended the investigation, saying they trusted White House sources and took seriously assurances that the president was fine.
"Based on what I knew at the time, I thought it was fair to treat it that way. But today I feel humbled by that coverage," he said in an interview on Megyn Kelly's show on SiriusXM.
Tapper also acknowledged that "the conservative media was right" in covering the issue at the time. "We all need to do our own self-criticism in the press — not just me, but all the mainstream media — about how we covered or didn't cover the issue appropriately," he added.
"I wish I had done things differently." When Morgan asked if he felt he owed the public an apology, Tupper replied: "I feel I owe the American people an admission: I wish I had covered the story better."
The claims made in the book are stark. Biden, plagued by apparent cognitive lapses — publicly addressing a deceased congresswoman, faltering in speeches — is said to have been a key figure, with aides using a “pen” to implement policies like open borders that Trump insists Biden never intended.
Among the book's discoveries are:
Discussions among the former president's associates about the possibility of him appearing in a wheelchair.
An incident where Biden did not recognize actor George Clooney at a charity event.
His goal is to testify in favor of his son, Hunter Biden, at his trial.
Kamala Harris' staff's belief that Biden "destroyed" her campaign.
Joe Biden's "Politburo"
For his part, the book's co-author, Alex Thompson, referred to the circle of people who allegedly led the US in place of President-elect Joe Biden during Biden's cognitive decline.
Specifically, he described a tight-knit group of advisers — known to some within the administration as the “Politburo” — that essentially ran the White House.
This inner circle included former Biden aides like Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Bruce Reed, and Ron Klein, as well as individuals close to the Biden family like First Lady Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, Jill Biden's chief of staff Anthony Bernal, and deputy Annie Tommasini, who often served as the president's chief of staff during trips.
Biden's inner circle:
Mike Donilon: Ai shërbeu si këshilltar i lartë i Joe Biden që nga fillimi i mandatit të tij deri në janar 2024, duke qenë një nga ndihmësit e tij më të besuar që nga vitet 1980. Kur ai kaloi në fushatën e vitit 2024, thuhet se mori një tarifë prej 4 milionë dollarësh. Donilon, një ish-anketues dhe konsulent komunikimi, u përshkrua nga shumë si "ushtari besnik" i Bidenit, duke gëzuar besimin absolut të presidentit. Në fakt, sipas autorëve të librit, bashkëpunëtorët e Bidenit bënë shaka se Donilon mund ta bindte atë edhe të fillonte një luftë nëse do të dëshironte.
David Axelrod: Ish-këshilltar i Barack Obamës, ai pretendoi se Donilon ishte i lidhur emocionalisht me Bidenin në një masë të tillë sa nuk mund ta pranonte realitetin.
Steve Ricchetti: ishte këshilltar i Bidenit gjatë gjithë presidencës së tij dhe gjithashtu kishte shërbyer si shef i stafit gjatë mandatit të tij si zëvendëspresident. Ai kishte shërbyer gjithashtu në administratën Klinton si zëvendësshef i stafit për çështje operative.
Bruce Reed : Zëvendësshef i stafit për politikat, ai shërbeu gjithashtu si shef i stafit të Bidenit gjatë gjysmës së parë të mandatit të tij si zëvendëspresident. Duke shërbyer edhe në administratën Clinton, ai konsiderohej ekspert në planifikimin e politikave dhe mori pjesë në përgatitjen e Bidenit për debatin katastrofik me Trumpin, duke kontribuar në fund të fundit në një nga momentet më negative të fushatës së tij.
Ron Klein: Shefi i parë i stafit të Bidenit në Shtëpinë e Bardhë, mbeti me ndikim edhe pas largimit të tij në shkurt 2023. Edhe pse shpesh nuk pajtohej politikisht me presidentin, ky i fundit e vlerësonte shumë inteligjencën e tij. Sipas librit, Biden u tha bashkëpunëtorëve: “ka vetëm një person më të zgjuar se unë këtu brenda – dhe ai është Roni.” Klein, me përvojë politike nga vitet e Bidenit në Senat dhe fushata e Clintonit në vitin 2016, ndihmoi gjithashtu në përgatitjen e debatit me Trumpin në qershor 2024, i cili rezultoi katastrofik.
Jill Biden: Luajti një rol aktiv në përpjekjen për ta izoluar presidentin nga përshtypjet negative, në një taktikë që disa e quajtën "operacioni flluskë". Nga një grua politike ngurruese në fillim të karrierës së Bidenit, ajo evoluoi në një figurë të rëndësishme brenda Shtëpisë së Bardhë, madje duke shkuar aq larg sa t’i qortonte ndihmësit të cilët nuk e ndalonin presidentin kur ai bisedonte para kamerave.
Hunter Biden: Ai pati një ndikim të rëndësishëm tek i ati dhe thuhet se ishte një faktor kyç në vendimin e tij për të mos u tërhequr nga gara presidenciale e vitit 2024. Sipas librit, problemet e Hunterit ndikuan thellë në psikikën e presidentit, me ndihmësit kryesorë që thanë: "Për të kuptuar përkeqësimin e Joe Biden, duhet të njihni problemet e Hunterit".
Le të fitojë dhe pastaj të zhduket
In an interview with Fox News, Alex Thompson further claimed that close associates of President Joe Biden were willing to use "undemocratic practices" to hide his deteriorating mental state and ensure his reelection.
As Thompson said, unelected White House officials felt they had the right to "fill the gaps" of presidential leadership, citing the danger that - in their opinion - Donald Trump represents to democracy.
One of the book's most characteristic points describes the perception of some of Biden's managers that the president simply had to win the election and then could "disappear for four years," as long as he appeared from time to time to prove he was alive.
Everything else, according to them, they would manage themselves. / Adapted from Pamphlet/
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