Inside the Biden Inner Circle’s Denial of Cognitive Decline

A new book reveals that members of former President Joe Biden’s team were in deep denial about his mental health and political viability, especially following his poor debate performance last summer.

Author Chris Whipple interviewed several aides, describing their collective mindset as being in a “fog of denial.” Despite clear signs of decline, officials convinced themselves Biden was capable of handling his duties. Whipple stated, “They believed what they wanted instead of the reality in front of them, even during the debate when everything went badly.”

Whipple highlighted that Biden’s chief of staff, Ron Klain, remained committed to Biden’s reelection bid despite the debate disaster, even believing Biden had won against Donald Trump. This optimism led to the decision to replace Biden with Kamala Harris on the 2024 ticket after concerns about his performance.

Klain has reportedly fallen out of favor with Biden after he disclosed to Whipple that Biden appeared disengaged during a retreat at Camp David, wandering off and sinking into a lounge chair. Klain also testified before Congress about Biden’s diminished energy and memory issues during his presidency.

During a meeting at Camp David, Biden was described as disengaged, wandering and sinking into a lounge chair, according to Klain’s testimony. Despite this, many aides believed Biden was still operational and capable of serving as commander-in-chief.

Whipple refutes claims that Biden was entirely incapacitated, asserting there’s no evidence he was unable to fulfill his presidential duties. Meanwhile, his team chose not to have Biden take a cognitive test in early 2024, confident he would pass.

Overall, the book paints a picture of a team in denial about Biden’s health, even as evidence of decline becomes more apparent.