CNN presenter accused of hypocrisy over book on Biden’s health

In ‘Original Sin’, Jake Tapper has alleged the former president’s cognitive decline was covered up, despite previously dismissing such claims

CNN anchor Jake Tapper is facing a backlash on social media for co-authoring a soon-to-be-released book alleging the cognitive decline of former US President Joe Biden was covered up despite having previously dismissed similar claims. The book’s publisher, Penguin Press, issued a press release announcing the project on Wednesday.

Set to be released on May 20, ‘Original Sin’ is co-authored by Tapper and Axios correspondent Alex Thompson. The book examines Biden’s decision to seek re-election, describing it as his “original sin” that led to a campaign of “gaslighting and denial,” ultimately resulting in current President Donald Trump’s election victory. The authors claim to provide an inside look into private discussions revealing the extent of Biden’s decline and efforts to conceal it.   

After the book’s announcement, critics blasted Tapper for hypocrisy, noting that he previously defended Biden against claims of cognitive decline.  

In 2020, during an interview with Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, Tapper cut her off after she suggested Biden was in “cognitive decline,” stating, “I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody’s cognitive decline.”  

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Some accused CNN of being “complicit in the fraud,” while others singled out Tapper calling his book a blatant attempt at deflection.

“It’s a book written by Jake about how Jake covered up Biden’s decline so Jake could write a book. Tell me – if Biden had won would this book still be published?” one user wrote on X.  

Although Tapper previously defended Biden, he became one of the most vocal critics of the president’s decision to seek reelection following the debate between Biden and Trump in June 2024, which he co-moderated.  

Questions about Biden’s physical and mental fortitude plagued his campaign throughout and Republicans often claimed that the 81-year-old lacked the acuity to serve another term in office. However, it was Biden’s poor performance at a CNN-hosted debate with Trump in June that put a spotlight on the president’s diminished prowess. During the debate, Biden repeatedly lost his train of thought, mixed up words and numbers, and struggled to finish sentences.   

Biden’s performance was widely criticized, including by Tapper himself. The former president ultimately dropped out of the race in July, about a hundred days before the election, and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris to run in his place.