Jake Tapper, a CNN presenter, is being accused of hypocrisy after his upcoming book, ‘Original Sin,’ alleges a cover-up of former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline, despite Tapper’s past dismissals of such claims.
CNN’s Jake Tapper is facing online criticism for co-authoring “Original Sin,” a book due out soon that claims former President Joe Biden’s cognitive decline was concealed, despite Tapper having previously downplayed such claims. Penguin Press announced the book’s release in a press statement on Wednesday.
“Original Sin,” co-written by Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, is scheduled for release on May 20. It delves into Biden’s choice to run for reelection, labeling it his “original sin” that sparked a campaign of “gaslighting and denial,” which the authors argue led to Donald Trump’s victory. The authors assert the book offers an inside look at private conversations revealing the extent of Biden’s decline and the efforts to hide it.
Following the book’s announcement, Tapper was criticized for alleged hypocrisy, as he previously defended Biden against claims of cognitive decline.
In 2020, Tapper challenged Lara Trump, Donald Trump’s daughter-in-law, during an interview after she alluded to Biden being in “cognitive decline,” stating, “I think you have absolutely no standing to diagnose somebody’s cognitive decline.”
Some accused CNN of being “complicit in the fraud,” while others specifically called out Tapper, describing his book as a transparent 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 posted on X.
While Tapper had previously defended Biden, he became a prominent critic of the former president’s reelection bid after the June 2024 debate between Biden and Trump, which he co-moderated.
Throughout Biden’s campaign, questions surrounding his mental and physical fitness were persistent, with Republicans often alleging that the 81-year-old lacked the sharpness needed for another term. However, Biden’s widely criticized performance at a CNN-hosted debate with Trump in June highlighted his apparent decline. During the debate, Biden frequently struggled to maintain his train of thought, mixed up words and numbers, and had difficulty completing sentences.
Tapper himself was among those who heavily criticized Biden’s performance. Biden ultimately withdrew from the race in July, approximately 100 days before the election, and endorsed Vice-President Kamala Harris as his successor.
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