Jake Tapper's bombshell book on Biden mental decline could be made into a movie
With the release set for May 20, Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor — representing Tapper and Thompson respectively — have begun quietly circulating the manuscript to select producers, according to the Status newsletter.
But while the talent agencies angle to sell the screen rights, the book's explosive claims and the timing of its release are drawing fierce criticism against the authors and other journalists for failing to aggressively cover the evident signs of Biden's deterioration.
4 Then-President Joe Biden and then-First Lady Jill Biden talk to CNN anchors Jake Tapper and Dana Bash following a debate on June 27.
Getty Images
The book, 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,' paints a bleak picture of Biden's final years in office.
The authors wrote in the book that senior White House aides seriously considered placing Biden in a wheelchair, took deliberate steps to prevent him from falling in public and actively concealed the extent of his decline from even his own staff.
Aides reportedly outfitted Biden with sneakers, arranged pre-event briefings and mapped out shorter walking routes to minimize the risk of public stumbles, according to the book.
His physician, Dr. Kevin O'Connor, privately warned that a serious fall could leave Biden wheelchair-bound and quipped that while staff were 'trying to kill him,' he was 'trying to keep him alive.'
One excerpt from the book described how Biden failed to recognize Hollywood icon George Clooney at a Los Angeles fundraiser last year.
The book is based on over 200 interviews, many with top Democratic insiders.
4 Tapper is co-author of 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.'
Penguin Press
'We attempted to shield him from his own staff so many people didn't realize the extent of the decline beginning in 2023,' one aide admitted, according to the book.
Early excerpts published Tuesday in Axios and The New Yorker helped propel the book to No. 4 on Amazon's bestseller list.
But along with buzz has come backlash. Critics accuse Tapper and Thompson of cashing in on Biden's struggles for personal gain while also helping the administration cover up the then-president's condition.
The backlash against Tapper has been especially fierce.
Social media users labeled him a 'hypocrite' for profiting off Biden's decline after years of defending the president publicly.
4 The book details the lengths to which Biden aides went to conceal his condition.
REUTERS
'Jake Tapper covered Biden's ass the entire time. And is now running to the other side and throwing his reporter hat on,' one critic wrote.
Another added, 'Tapper smeared and attacked people who brought up Biden's decline, including Democrats.'
Fox News hosts John Roberts and Joe Concha also slammed Tapper, accusing him and other liberal media figures of 'tying themselves in knots' to shield Biden from scrutiny.
4 Talent agencies Creative Artists Agency and William Morris Endeavor — representing Tapper and Alex Thompson respectively — have begun quietly circulating the manuscript to select producers, according to a report.
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'It is just patently insulting that Jake Tapper is trying to rewrite history while lining his own pockets in the process,' Concha said.
Tapper addressed the criticism during a broadcast of his CNN show 'The Lead' earlier this year, telling his viewers: 'I've been covering the concerns about President Biden's age and health for years. I literally asked him about it in October 2022, and we've challenged Democrats and White House officials about it.'
Tapper said that he and Thompson 'have spent the last several months talking to more than 200 insiders, officials, and donors — people who were more willing to talk post-election — to explain the last couple of years in politics and how we, as a country, got here.'
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