"You're trying to kill him while I'm trying to keep him alive".
The criticism from President's doctor Kevin O'Connor was clear. Time and time again, he tried to get Biden's staff to put more rest in the president's daily schedule.
No stumbling
The frustration is described in the book "Original sin", written by CNN-journalist Jake Tapper and Axios-reporter Alex Thompson. It is based on interviews with over 200 people, most of them high-ranking within the Democrats, and deals with, according to the book's subtitle, "President Biden's downfall, the darkening and the catastrophic decision to run again".
Outwardly, the health issues were initially most noticeable in his stumbling. Measures were taken to ensure that the fall that occurred on Air Force Academy in 2023, when the president stumbled on a sandbag, would not occur again. Internally, it was discussed whether a wheelchair should be used, but they agreed that it could not happen until after the presidential election, according to the book.
Biden himself explained his stumbling by saying he broke his foot in 2020. But according to O'Connor, the stiff gait was due to severe arthritis in the spine.
Pushed on
Biden himself, his family, and his closest staff were aware that the president was deteriorating both physically and mentally, but they still pushed on with his re-election campaign, writes Axios with reference to the book.
It became apparent in June last year, when Hollywood star George Clooney hosted a fundraising event in Los Angeles and did not recognize him – despite having been acquaintances for several years. Clooney was "shaken to the core" after the meeting, reports CNN.
Shortly thereafter, Biden made his disastrous debate appearance against Donald Trump. Three weeks later, he threw in the towel and backed Vice President Kamala Harris.
