Health decline to wheelchair use: 10 bombshell claims about Joe Biden in new book
Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again hits shelves on 20 May, but early revelations already exposed how far senior White House aides went to shield Biden's health decline from the public.
Based on over 200 interviews, largely with Democratic insiders, the book lays bare the backstage chaos and desperate attempts to keep Biden's re-election campaign alive.
ALSO READ| Jake Tapper exposes Joe Biden aides' secret plan to put him in wheelchair for potential second term
ALSO READ| Trump to continue Biden's court defense of abortion drug mifepristone
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
8 minutes ago
- First Post
US slams France's criminal investigation into Elon Musk's X amid foreign interference concerns
Paris cybercrime prosecutors called for the police probe July 11 to investigate suspected crimes – including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems 'as part of a criminal gang.' read more An illustration photograph taken on February 20, 2025 shows the X account of Elon Musk displayed on a phone screen next to the X logo displayed on a laptop screen, in a residential property in Guildford, south of London. AFP US officials issued a harsh condemnation Friday of France's criminal investigation into the social network X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, on suspicion of foreign interference. 'As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X's proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an 'organized crime group,'' the US State Department's Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor wrote on their X account. 'Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States will defend the free speech of all Americans against acts of foreign censorship.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Paris cybercrime prosecutors called for the police probe July 11 to investigate suspected crimes – including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems 'as part of a criminal gang.' The social media company last week denied the allegations, calling them 'politically motivated.' X also said it had refused to comply with the prosecutor's request to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data. The investigation follows two January complaints that alleged the X algorithm had been used for foreign interference in French politics. One of the complaints came from Eric Bothorel, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron's centrist party, who complained of 'reduced diversity of voices and options' and Musk's 'personal interventions' in the platform's management since he took it over. X said it 'categorically denies' all allegations and that the probe 'is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.' Tesla and SpaceX chief Musk has raised hackles with his forays into European politics, including vocal backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of February legislative elections. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Democracy is too fragile to let digital platform owners tell us what to think, who to vote for or even who to hate,' Bothorel said after the investigation was announced.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
8 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Trump struggles to shake off Epstein scandal once stoked by his own allies
Trump supporters are asking the release of secret files on Jeffrey Epstein, who officials say died by suicide in a New York jail six years ago while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges AP Washington Despite the sun bearing down on him and the sweat beading across his face, President Donald Trump still lingered with reporters lined up outside the White House on Friday. He was leaving on a trip to Scotland, where he would visit his golf courses, and he wanted to talk about how his administration just finished the best six months ever. But over and over, the journalists kept asking Trump about the Jeffrey Epstein case and whether he would pardon the disgraced financier's imprisoned accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. People should really focus on how well the country is doing, Trump insisted. He shut down another question by saying, I don't want to talk about that. It was another example of how the Epstein saga and his administration's disjointed approach to it has shadowed Trump when he's otherwise at the height of his influence. He's enacted a vast legislative agenda, reached trade deals with key countries and tightened his grip across the federal government. Yet he's struggled to stamp out the embers of a political crisis that could become a full-on conflagration. Trump faces pressure from his own supporters The Republican president's supporters want the government to release secret files about Epstein, who authorities say killed himself in his New York jail cell six years ago while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. They believe him to be the nexus of a dark web of powerful people who abused underage girls. Administration officials who once stoked conspiracy theories now insist there's nothing more to disclose, a stance that has stirred skepticism because of Trump's former friendship with Epstein. Trump has repeatedly denied prior knowledge of Epstein's crimes and claimed he cut off their relationship long ago. For a president skilled at manipulating the media and controlling the Republican Party, it has been the most challenging test of his ability to shift the conversation in his second term. This is a treadmill to nowhere. How do you get off of it? said Kevin Madden, a Republican strategist. I genuinely don't know the answer to that. Trump has demanded his supporters drop the matter and urged Republicans to block Democratic requests for documents on Capitol Hill. But he has also directed the Justice Department to divulge some additional information in hopes of satisfying his supporters. A White House official, who insisted on anonymity to discuss internal strategy, said Trump is trying to stay focused on his agenda while also demonstrating some transparency. After facing countless scandals and investigations, the official said, Trump is on guard against the typical playbook of drip-drip disclosures that have plagued him in the past. It's clear Trump sees the Epstein case as a continuation of the witch hunts he's faced over the years, starting with the investigation into Russian interference during his election victory over Democrat Hillary Clinton nearly a decade ago. The sprawling inquiry led to convictions against some top advisers but did not substantiate allegations Trump conspired with Moscow. Trump's opponents, he wrote on social media on Thursday, have gone absolutely CRAZY, and are playing another Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax but, this time, under the guise of what we will call the Jeffrey Epstein SCAM. During the Russia investigation, special counsel Robert Mueller and his team of prosecutors were a straightforward foil for Trump to rail against. Ty Cobb, the lawyer who served as the White House's point person, said the president never felt exposed because he thought he had a legitimate gripe. The situation is different this time now that the Justice Department has been stocked with loyalists. The people that he has to get mad at are basically his people as opposed to his inquisitors and adversaries, Cobb said. It was Trump's allies who excavated the Epstein debacle In fact, Trump's own officials are the most responsible for bringing the Epstein case back to the forefront. FBI Director Kash Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, regularly stoked conspiracy theories about Epstein before assuming their current jobs, floating the idea the government had covered up incriminating and compelling information that needed to be brought to light. Put on your big boy pants and let us know who the paedophiles are, Patel said in a 2023 podcast. Attorney General Pam Bondi played a key role, too. She intimated in a Fox News Channel interview in February that an Epstein client list was sitting on her desk for review she would later say she was referring to the Epstein files more generally and greeted far-right influencers with binders of records from the case that consisted largely of information already in the public domain. Tensions spiked earlier this month when the FBI and the Justice Department, in an unsigned two-page letter, said that no client list existed, that the evidence was clear Epstein had killed himself and that no additional records from the case would be released to the public. It was a seeming backtrack on the administration's stated commitment to transparency. Amid a fierce backlash from Trump's base and influential conservative personalities, Bongino and Bondi squabbled openly in a tense White House meeting. Since then, the Trump administration has scrambled to appear transparent, including by seeking the unsealing of grand jury transcripts in the case though it's hardly clear that courts would grant that request or that those records include any eye-catching details anyway. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche has taken the unusual step of interviewing the imprisoned Maxwell over the course of two days at a courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, where her lawyer said she would always testify truthfully. All the while, Trump and his allies have resurfaced the Russia investigation as a rallying cry for a political base that has otherwise been frustrated by the Epstein saga. Trump's director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who just weeks ago appeared on the outs with Trump over comments on Iran's nuclear ambitions, seemed to return to the president's good graces this week following the declassification and release of years-old documents she hoped would discredit long-settled conclusions about Russian interference in the 2016 election. The developments allowed Trump to rehash longstanding grievances against President Barack Obama and his Democratic advisers. Trump's talk of investigations into perceived adversaries from years ago let him, in effect, go back in time to deflect attention from a very current crisis. Whether it's right or wrong, Trump said, it's time to go after people. (Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hindustan Times
43 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Trump calls on Israel to ‘finish the job', blames Hamas for limbo in Gaza ceasefire talks
US President Donald Trump on Friday blamed Hamas for the breakdown of Gaza ceasefire talks, signalling support for Israel to escalate its military campaign, CNN reported. Trump's administration pulled back its negotiators from talks in Doha, citing concerns that Hamas was not "coordinated" or "acting in good faith."(REUTERS) "I think they want to die, and it's very, very bad," Trump said of Hamas while speaking to reporters before departing for a weekend trip to Scotland. "It got to be to a point where you're gonna have to finish the job." The comments marked a clear shift from just weeks ago when Trump appeared confident a deal was close that would end the conflict, release remaining hostages, and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, CNN noted. This week, Trump's administration pulled back its negotiators from talks in Doha, citing concerns that Hamas was not "coordinated" or "acting in good faith." Steve Witkoff, Trump's Middle East envoy, said he was exploring "alternative options" to secure the release of hostages. Trump, asked about his recent interactions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said only that they were "sort of disappointing." He added, "They're gonna have to fight and they're gonna have to clean it up. You're gonna have to get rid of 'em." While Trump placed blame squarely on Hamas, officials in Egypt and Qatar described the current pause in talks as "normal in the context of these complex negotiations." A senior Israeli official also said the talks had "not at all" collapsed. Trump claimed Hamas had little incentive to negotiate, noting the dwindling number of hostages still held. "Now we're down to the final hostages, and they know what happens after you get the final hostages, and basically, because of that, they really didn't want to make a deal," Trump said. US officials said the administration hopes Trump's firm rhetoric and Witkoff's withdrawal will pressure Hamas to return to the table, according to CNN. State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said, "We've tried. The world has watched this. What the options are -- clearly there are many tools in President Trump's tool chest, many options that Special Envoy Witkoff has." Also Read | US rejects France's move to recognise Palestine, Rubio says 'reckless decision' At the White House, Trump also responded to criticism over US aid, saying, "People don't know this, and we didn't certainly get any acknowledgement or thank you, but we contributed $60 million to food and supplies and everything else. We hope the money gets there, because you know, that money gets taken. The food gets taken. We're going to do more, but we gave a lot of money." An internal US review has found no evidence of widespread theft of US-funded aid by Hamas in Gaza, CNN said. Trump is scheduled to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Scotland over the weekend. On Friday, Starmer called Israel's military escalation in Gaza "indefensible." French President Emmanuel Macron also drew global attention by announcing France would recognize a Palestinian state at the UN General Assembly in September. Trump dismissed the move, telling reporters, "The statement doesn't carry any weight. He's a very good guy. I like him. But that statement doesn't carry weight."
