Original Sin
THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES AND #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
THE TIMES, GUARDIAN, FINANCIAL TIMES AND DAILY MAIL BOOK OF THE YEAR 2025
The damning inside story of Joe Biden's decline while in office – and the desperate attempts of his inner circle to hide it from the American people.
'Explosive' Guardian
'Explosive' The Times
'Explosive' Daily Mail
'Explosive' Politico
'Explosive' New York Times
Joe Biden, his family and his senior aides were convinced that only he could beat Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. So convinced, in fact, that that they embarked upon a remarkable campaign of denial and gaslighting against the American public – lying to themselves, allies, the media and voters about his true condition.
Only now is the full, unsettling truth coming to light. Here, two of America’s best-respected political journalists take us behind closed doors to reveal the extent of Biden’s decline and who knew about it, from White House staffers to senators to Hollywood celebrities. They paint President Biden’s decision to run for re-election as shockingly narcissistic, delusional and reckless – and the wider cover-up as an act of unprecedented public deception.
The story the authors tell raises fundamental issues of accountability and responsibility that will endure for decades. In the name of defeating what they called an existential threat to democracy, Biden and his inner circle all but ensured it, denying the existence of health issues the nation had been watching for years. His decision to run again was the original sin of his presidency – the moment that led directly to Donald Trump’s return to power and all that has come since.
'How American voters became victims of one of the great political cover-ups of modern times . . . It was the gaslighting of a nation.' The Times
'A damning, step-by-step account of how the people closest to a stubborn, aging president enabled his quixotic resolve to run for a second term.' New York Times
'The shocking truth of the last year of Biden’s presidency . . . Original Sin presents a scathing account of an elderly, egotistical president cocooned from reality.' Guardian
'Original Sin's simple assessment of the 2024 race is more compelling than anything else I’ve read about it . . . Extensive reporting and clear-eyed prose.' Washington Post
Jake Tapper is the chief Washington correspondent for CNN. An Emmy Award-winning TV journalist and twice New York Times-bestselling novelist, in 2024 he chaired the Trump–Biden debate that began the unravelling of the president’s re-election campaign. A Dartmouth graduate and Philadelphia native, he lives in Washington, DC with his family.
Alex Thompson is a national political correspondent for Axios and a CNN contributor. Before that, he created Politico’s West Wing Playbook newsletter and worked at the New York Times and Vice News. A Harvard graduate, he lives in Washington, DC.