The news is selling you a book about news they should’ve told you was news a year ago for free.

The narrative around Joe Biden’s mental and physical health during his presidency has been a contentious issue, particularly as it relates to the role of mainstream media outlets like ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, as well as prominent figures like CNN anchor Jake Tapper. Critics, especially from conservative circles, argue that these outlets and journalists downplayed or obscured signs of Biden’s cognitive decline, prioritizing political narratives over transparent reporting. Meanwhile, defenders of these media organizations contend that their coverage was balanced, and any lapses were due to limited access or White House efforts to manage perceptions. Below, I outline the key points based on available information, critically examining the claims of deception and resistance to accountability while incorporating relevant context from recent sources.

Critics assert that major media outlets, including ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN, engaged in a pattern of minimizing or dismissing concerns about Biden’s mental acuity throughout his presidency. This alleged deception is said to have stemmed from a combination of ideological bias, access journalism, and pressure from the Biden administration to control the narrative. Key points include:

As early as the 2020 campaign, critics like Lara Trump pointed to Biden’s verbal gaffes and physical stumbles as evidence of cognitive decline. In a notable 2020 interview, Jake Tapper challenged Lara Trump’s claims, framing Biden’s speech issues as related to his childhood stutter rather than cognitive impairment. Tapper stated, “I think you were mocking his stutter and I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody’s cognitive decline,” a response that critics now cite as emblematic of the media’s reluctance to engage with the issue seriously.

Biden’s presidency was marked by several public moments that raised questions about his mental and physical health, such as tripping on Air Force One stairs (March 2021), falling off a bike (June 2022), and a significant spill at the Air Force Academy commencement (June 2023). While some incidents, like the Air Force One and commencement falls, were covered by outlets like CNN, others, such as the bike incident, were reportedly underreported or ignored by major networks. Critics argue this selective coverage helped maintain a narrative of Biden’s competence.

Reports suggest that Biden’s inner circle, including family and senior aides, actively worked to obscure his declining faculties. A Wall Street Journal report, referenced in posts on X, claimed that the White House managed Biden’s limitations for years, a story that critics say mainstream media failed to pursue aggressively until after the 2024 election. Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s book, Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again, alleges that Biden’s team misled not only the public and press but also Democratic allies and cabinet members about the extent of his condition.

The June 27, 2024, presidential debate, co-moderated by Tapper, was a turning point, as Biden’s halting performance made his cognitive struggles undeniable. Critics argue that the media, including CNN, only began addressing these issues seriously after the debate, when public and political pressure forced Biden to withdraw from the 2024 race in July. This delay is cited as evidence of a broader cover-up, with outlets like CBS later acknowledging they should have questioned Biden’s fitness earlier.

Jake Tapper, a prominent CNN anchor, has faced particular scrutiny for his coverage of Biden’s health, especially following the release of Original Sin on May 20, 2025. The book, co-authored with Axios reporter Alex Thompson, details what the authors describe as a concerted effort by Biden’s inner circle to hide his cognitive and physical decline, based on over 200 interviews. However, Tapper’s critics, particularly on X, accuse him of hypocrisy, arguing that he contributed to the cover-up he now critiques. Key points include:
Past Defense of Biden: Tapper’s 2020 defense of Biden against Lara Trump’s claims and his 2023 assertion that Biden was mentally “sharp” (while questioning only his physical stamina) are frequently cited as evidence of his earlier dismissal of cognitive concerns. In September 2023, Tapper suggested that questions about Biden’s health were primarily about physical ability, not mental acuity, and in March 2024, he praised Biden’s State of the Union performance as evidence of capability, dismissing conservative critiques as exaggerated.

In promoting Original Sin, Tapper has acknowledged that he did not cover Biden’s decline sufficiently, stating, “I look back at my coverage during the Biden years and I did cover some of these issues, but not enough,” and expressing “humility” about his shortcomings. He noted that much of the book’s reporting came from Democratic insiders who spoke candidly only after Biden’s 2024 withdrawal, suggesting that White House obfuscation and media intimidation limited earlier coverage. Critics, however, argue that Tapper’s admission is self-serving, timed to capitalize on the post-election appetite for such revelations.

Conservatives, such as Sean Davis and James Woods, have labeled Tapper a “hypocrite” for profiting from a narrative he allegedly downplayed while Biden was in office. Liberals, including The View co-hosts Joy Behar and Sunny Hostin, have criticized Tapper for focusing on Biden’s decline instead of Trump’s current administration, with Behar questioning why Tapper isn’t writing about Trump’s “cognitive decline.” Progressive commentators like Wajahat Ali have called the book an indictment of corporate media’s misplaced priorities.

When faced with criticism, media outlets and figures like Tapper have often pointed to instances where they did raise questions about Biden’s age or health, such as Tapper’s 2022 interview with Biden or his 2023 queries to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. A CNN spokesperson defended Tapper’s record, stating, “Jake Tapper is a veteran journalist whose tenacious and thorough reporting has held those in power to account on both sides of the aisle for decades.” Critics argue these efforts were superficial, failing to probe deeply until Biden’s debate performance forced the issue.

Outlets like CBS, through reporter Jan Crawford, admitted post-election that they should have “more forcefully questioned” Biden’s fitness, citing the Wall Street Journal’s reporting as a catalyst. This acknowledgment, however, came after Biden’s withdrawal, leading critics to argue that the media only admitted fault when it was politically safe.

Liberal media figures and commentators have deflected criticism by shifting focus to Trump, as seen in The View’s discussions, where co-hosts argued that Tapper’s book distracts from Trump’s current actions. This tactic is cited as evidence of resistance to fully grappling with their role in downplaying Biden’s decline.

Tapper and others have noted that White House pressure and limited access posed challenges to reporting on Biden’s health. Tapper described the Biden team’s efforts to label critical stories as “lies” as intimidating, discouraging journalists from pursuing the story. However, critics argue that this excuse does not absolve journalists of their responsibility to investigate, especially given conservative media’s earlier reporting on the issue.

Mainstream media outlets operate in a competitive environment where access to sources and maintaining relationships with political figures can influence coverage. The Biden administration’s reported efforts to control the narrative, combined with a polarized media landscape, may have led to cautious reporting rather than outright lies. However, the failure to pursue early signs of decline—such as Biden’s struggles to recall names or his restricted schedules—represents a missed opportunity for accountability, particularly given the public’s eventual recognition of these issues during the 2024 debate.

Reports, including those in Original Sin, suggest that a tight-knit group of aides and family members, notably First Lady Jill Biden, senior advisor Anita Dunn, chief of staff Jeff Zients (and earlier Ron Klain), and deputy chief of staff Annie Tomasini, played significant roles in managing Biden’s schedule and public appearances. The book, based on over 200 interviews, alleges that these figures worked to “cover up” Biden’s decline by limiting his exposure, scripting interactions, and controlling access. For instance, Biden’s public events were often tightly choreographed, with reduced press interactions compared to predecessors, which critics cite as evidence of a managed presidency.

Original Sin describes Jill Biden as fiercely protective, limiting access to the president and influencing major decisions, including his choice to run for re-election in 2024 despite concerns from Democratic allies.

Some speculated that Vice President Harris was effectively running the show, but this is largely unsupported by evidence. Harris was often sidelined on contentious issues like border security and faced criticism for her own public missteps, suggesting she was not a central figure in day-to-day governance. Posts on X frequently dismiss Harris as a “figurehead” in this context, with more focus on unelected aides.

Conservative commentators, such as Sean Davis and Tucker Carlson, have claimed that unelected advisors like Dunn, Zients, and others formed a “cabal” that made key decisions while Biden was a figurehead. A Wall Street Journal report, referenced widely on X, detailed how aides managed Biden’s limitations, such as avoiding long meetings after 8 p.m. and ensuring he had detailed notecards for even small events. These reports fuel the narrative that staff, not Biden, were driving policy and operations.

Tapper’s case highlights the tension between journalistic duty and perceived bias. His acknowledgment of insufficient coverage is a rare admission in the industry, but critics argue it comes too late, driven by commercial interests rather than genuine contrition. The broader resistance from outlets like ABC, CBS, NBC, and CNN to fully own their role may stem from a fear of further eroding public trust, already at historic lows, as Tapper himself noted in an NPR interview: “The news media is in a crisis… people don’t trust us.”

**The title of this post is from a comment by comedian Jon Stewart.