A new book by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson claims White House officials privately discussed the possibility of President Joe Biden needing a wheelchair if re-elected. The book, Original Sin, based on over 200 interviews with Biden insiders, outlines growing concerns within the administration over the president’s declining physical health during his final years in office.
According to Axios, the book states: “Biden’s physical deterioration — most apparent in his halting walk — had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn’t do so until after the election.” Biden’s physician, Kevin O’Connor, reportedly noted that another serious fall could make a wheelchair necessary during recovery, citing the toll the presidency was taking on Biden’s health.
Concern within the White House spiked after Biden tripped over a sandbag during the Air Force Academy commencement in June 2023. Afterward, aides implemented new safety protocols including shorter walking routes, the installation of handrails, and increased use of sneakers to avoid another public fall.
Privately, O’Connor argued for more rest periods in Biden’s schedule. He reportedly joked that while staffers were pushing Biden too hard, he was “trying to keep him alive.” While publicly, aides attributed Biden’s unsteady walk to a 2020 foot fracture, O’Connor’s notes referenced more chronic issues like “significant spinal arthritis.”
A Biden spokesperson, speaking anonymously, pushed back on the book’s framing, saying the president’s gait issues were not “severe” and that aging signs do not equate to mental incapacity. The spokesperson added that Biden has remained effective in his presidential duties.
