“Cabinet Shut Out”: New Book Reveals Biden Presidency Crisis
Recent revelations from a new book shed light on how Biden’s closest advisors restricted Cabinet access during his presidency’s final two years. “Original Sin” draws from over 200 Democratic insider interviews to expose troubling details about the President’s health decline and his team’s iron grip on power. The book reveals Biden’s staff privately discussed using a wheelchair because his walk had become increasingly unsteady. One Cabinet secretary described their rare encounters with Biden, noting the President seemed “disoriented” and “out of it.” White House staff significantly reduced direct access to Biden. They opted to brief him themselves rather than allow Cabinet members face-to-face meetings. His inner circle, which staff nicknamed “the Politburo,” tightly controlled what information reached the President’s desk. This effectively cut Biden off from broader government operations and decision-making processes.
Book Reveals Biden’s Cabinet Was Shut Out
Image Source: AP News
A bombshell exposé reveals that President Biden’s Cabinet faced unmatched isolation from the Commander-in-Chief throughout 2023 and 2024. The book details how several high-ranking officials found themselves pushed aside as the administration entered its later years.
Cabinet members report limited access in 2023–2024
Cabinet secretaries described a fundamental change in their direct communication with the President. They easily scheduled meetings early in the administration. By mid-2023, these opportunities became rare. A Cabinet member’s monthly face-to-face briefings reduced to quarterly formal Cabinet meetings. A senior official gave up requesting time with Biden after five postponements.
The isolation went beyond one-on-one meetings. Major policy initiatives from Cabinet departments needed extensive review through multiple White House staff layers before reaching the President’s desk—if they reached him at all.
White House aides acted as intermediaries
The book shows how a small group of senior White House staffers controlled all access to Biden. Cabinet members felt frustrated as they briefed these aides who then relayed information to the President. Many officials doubted whether Biden received their complete recommendations without filtering or alterations.
The book shares a telling example. A Cabinet secretary learned about the President’s decision on their department’s proposal from an unexpected source. Biden received the briefing from his Chief of Staff instead of the department expert. “It was like playing a game of telephone,” the unnamed official stated, “with policy nuances getting lost in translation.”
Concerns over Biden’s ability to respond in a crisis
The revelations about emergency response capabilities raised serious concerns. The book describes how multiple officials worried about the President’s availability during potential crises. National security experts highlighted the risks of intermediaries controlling information flow during time-sensitive situations.
Former White House officials pointed to cases where Biden remained unavailable for hours during international developments. A Cabinet member tried to reach Biden about an emerging security threat. The response? The President was “resting” and would receive a briefing later. This created what one official called “dangerous lag time” in urgent decision-making processes.
The Cabinet members’ isolation created what the book describes as a “parallel government.” Presidential authority effectively transferred to unelected staffers who operated with minimal oversight.
Aides Shielded Biden From Bad News and Decisions
Image Source: Axios
The book reveals shocking details about a complex system that protected President Biden from unfiltered interactions and challenging information. Previous administrations used various communication strategies. However, this book describes unprecedented control over Biden’s daily activities.
Meetings were scripted to avoid surprises
Biden needed teleprompters not just for major speeches but also during small, private fundraisers with just a few attendees. White House staff treated even modest gatherings “like it was a NATO summit.” They created detailed documents with large-font instructions. These materials had labeled photographs with captions like “view from podium” and simple directions such as “walk to podium”. A staffer couldn’t believe that “a seasoned political pro like the president would need detailed verbal and visual instructions on how to enter and exit a room”.
Staff filtered information before it reached Biden
A tight inner circle of just six people controlled what information reached the President during 2023-2024. This group included First Lady Jill Biden, his son Hunter, and senior aides Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Annie Tomasini, and Anthony Bernal. They decided what Biden should know and when. Cabinet secretaries had to brief White House aides who then passed information to Biden. One official questioned: “Yes, the president is ‘making the decisions,’ but if the inner circle is shaping them in such a way, is it really a decision? Are they leading him to something?”
Some aides feared confronting the president directly
The book describes how some staffers were “scared s–tless” of Biden. They carefully prepared briefing materials to avoid triggering his anger. “It’s like, ‘You can’t include that, that will set him off,’ or ‘Put that in, he likes that,'” a senior administration official explained. Staff avoided bringing certain topics to Biden’s attention. Another source described briefings as “a Rorschach test, not a briefing”.
Staff members brought colleagues to meetings for support when discussing difficult subjects. A Cabinet secretary stated bluntly that Biden’s staff “did him wrong” by hiding uncomfortable truths—especially about his own condition. “If you were with him every day and you knew this was a problem, why didn’t you go to him and say something?” the official asked.
Incidents Highlight Biden’s Apparent Decline
Image Source: Los Angeles Times
The book reveals troubling details about President Biden’s cognitive state during his final years in office. Multiple sources highlighted specific incidents that left administration officials alarmed and sparked debates about his ability to serve.
Biden forgets names of top aides and celebrities
Throughout 2023-2024, the book documents several worrying memory lapses. Biden couldn’t recall his Defense Secretary’s name during a crucial meeting and called him “the Pentagon guy” until an aide stepped in. At a high-profile Hollywood event, he introduced a famous actress as “the lady from that movie” though he had met her many times before.
The White House team created sophisticated memory aids to help. Biden needed photos with labeled names on briefing materials before meeting his own appointees. The core team even started introducing themselves at the start of each interaction, whatever the frequency of their meetings with the President.
Concerns about needing a wheelchair during second term
The book’s most concerning revelations came from discussions among Biden’s closest advisors about his physical limitations. His team talked privately about the possibility of wheelchair use if he won a second term. These conversations started because of his worsening gait and increasingly difficult walk.
The staff created backup plans for public events by reducing walking distances and controlling camera angles. On top of that, the White House medical team increased their presence during overseas trips.
Disoriented behavior during rare Cabinet meetings
Cabinet members reported unsettling behavior during their occasional meetings with the President. One Cabinet secretary described Biden as “disoriented” and “out of it” during these sessions. Many officials noted how he would start discussing one topic but suddenly switch to unrelated subjects mid-sentence.
The staff adapted by giving Biden detailed scripts and limiting open discussions. So these Cabinet meetings that usually went on for hours were cut down to 30 minutes, with Biden making brief remarks before leaving his aides to continue the talks.
Biden Team Pushes Back as Legacy Debate Grows
Image Source: East Wing Magazine
President Biden’s inner circle has launched a strong defense of his leadership and mental capacity after explosive claims surfaced. The White House and Biden’s allies work hard to manage the situation. They paint a different picture of his presidency.
Jill Biden defends president’s work ethic
The First Lady stands as her husband’s strongest defender. She spoke with passion about his achievements in a Vogue interview. “If people knew what Joe’s done… They don’t know who’s getting the lead out of their water. They don’t know who’s stopping the pipeline going through the parklands.” She responded to the book’s claims and made it clear that she “did not create a cocoon around him” and stressed that “he wasn’t hiding somewhere.”
She takes on age-related criticism head-on. The First Lady describes the president as a “healthy, wise 81-year-old ready to work for you every day.” She managed to keep a positive view of Biden’s age and claimed, “Joe isn’t one of the most effective presidents of our lives in spite of his age, but because of it.”
Spokesperson denies any national security lapses
The president’s spokesperson strongly rejects claims about mental decline affecting national security. “We continue to await anything that shows where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or where national security was threatened or where he was unable to do his job,” the spokesperson stated. “In fact, the evidence points to the opposite — he was a very effective president.”
The White House team sees the book as a money-making venture. They point out that no one consulted Biden or his team during fact-checking.
Democrats remain divided on how to address the revelations
The Democratic Party shows division in its response to these damaging claims. Some party leaders stay quiet even after losing elections, which suggests they fear speaking up. In spite of that, several Democrats acknowledge mistakes. Senator Amy Klobuchar admits, “Yes, we would have been better served by a primary.”
Some Democrats believe focusing only on Biden’s decline misses bigger issues. Chris Korge, Democratic National Committee Finance Chair, challenges critics: “To blame Biden now is to change the accountability from the people who lost the race: the consultants, the so-called gurus.” Progressive members now call for deeper analysis of the party’s economic message and candidate selection.
The claims in “Original Sin” will without doubt cast a dark cloud over President Biden’s final years in office. His Cabinet members lost influence while a small group of advisors gained unusual power during this time. The book shares worrying stories about Biden’s mental decline. His memory issues, physical health problems, and confused behavior showed up during the few meetings he attended.
Biden’s team keeps defending his ability to lead. His wife stands by him strongly, especially when she says his age helps rather than hurts him. White House staff call the book a money-making scheme, but they don’t explain the specific events that many sources talked about.
These revelations have split the Democratic Party deeply. Some leaders won’t criticize Biden even after losing elections. Others admit the party made mistakes in how they handled things. Democrats now face tough choices about being open, taking responsibility, and where to go next.
This goes way beyond party politics. Questions about a president’s fitness and who really runs things get to the core of how democracy works. Nobody knows if voters will ask future presidents to be more open about these issues. The debate about Biden’s legacy and who helped shape it will keep going.
