CNN anchors left House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries visibly uncomfortable as they grilled him about Democrats’ alleged cover-up of Joe Biden’s cognitive decline before the 2024 election.
Quick Takes
- A new book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson details Democrats’ efforts to hide Biden’s mental decline, including an incident where he failed to recognize George Clooney at a fundraiser.
- When pressed about the cover-up allegations, top Democrats including Jeffries and Chuck Schumer repeatedly deflected, refusing to address direct questions about Biden’s condition.
- CNN anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown directly questioned whether voters can trust Democrats after party leadership concealed Biden’s deteriorating condition from the public.
- Biden’s decision to run for reelection, despite his cognitive issues, is portrayed in the book as “narcissistic and reckless” and partly blamed for Democratic losses to President Trump.
- Democratic leadership reportedly had “a plan B” while publicly supporting Biden’s candidacy, raising serious questions about transparency.
Democrats Dodge Pointed Questions About Biden Cover-Up
Top Democrats are facing difficult questions about their role in concealing former President Joe Biden’s mental decline before the 2024 election. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared visibly uncomfortable during a recent CNN interview when anchors Wolf Blitzer and Pamela Brown pressed him about allegations contained in Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson’s forthcoming book, “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.” The book, based on over 200 interviews and scheduled for release on May 20, paints a damning picture of Democratic leadership knowingly shielding an aging president from public scrutiny.
When Blitzer directly asked Jeffries about an incident where Biden reportedly failed to recognize actor George Clooney at a fundraiser the star was hosting, Jeffries deflected, saying: “I can’t tell you what happened between George Clooney and President Biden that wasn’t at that event. What I can say is that we’re not looking back. We’re gonna continue to look forward because at this moment, we’ve got real problems that need to be addressed on behalf of the American people, including the Republican effort to snatch away healthcare, snatch away food assistance and hurt veterans.”
Pattern of Avoidance Among Democratic Leadership
Jeffries’ evasive response follows a similar pattern displayed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who was questioned about a February 2024 meeting with Biden. When asked about the president’s fitness during this period, Schumer abruptly cut off the inquiry, stating: “Kasie, we’re looking forward. We have the largest Medicaid cut in front of us–” before concluding with “That’s it.” This coordinated refusal to address direct questions about Biden’s cognitive state has raised concerns about transparency and accountability within Democratic leadership circles.
“We’re not looking backward. We’re looking forward at this particular moment in time,” Hakeem Jeffries told reporters, refusing to engage with questions about whether he personally observed Biden’s decline.
Brown followed up by highlighting the connection between past actions and voter trust: “Just very quickly, I want to ask you, Congressman Jeffries, you know, you say we’re not looking back, we’re looking forward, but what happened in the past has to do with what’s going to happen in the future and whether voters can trust Democrats. As you look back, you were in a leadership position when President Biden decided to run again. Should you have done more at that point to intervene?” Once again, Jeffries avoided directly addressing the question, instead pivoting to recent Democratic victories in special elections as evidence of continued voter trust.
Book Reveals Extent of Biden’s Decline and Democratic Deception
The revelations in Tapper and Thompson’s book suggest that Democratic leaders, including Schumer, were fully aware of Biden’s deteriorating condition but prioritized election optics over transparency. According to excerpts, Schumer had developed “a plan B” while publicly supporting Biden’s candidacy. The book portrays Biden’s decision to seek reelection as “narcissistic and reckless,” a choice that Penguin Press describes as having devastating consequences for the Democratic Party and ultimately contributing to their loss to President Trump in the 2024 election.
“Why should voters trust Democrats when it’s clear so many in your party went to great lengths to keep Biden’s condition hidden, hidden from the public?” Wolf Blitzer directly asked Jeffries, highlighting the central ethical concern raised by the book’s allegations.
Biden’s widely criticized performance in the June 27 presidential debate against then-candidate Trump raised serious questions about his health and cognitive abilities. Following mounting pressure, Biden withdrew from the race in July, leading to a chaotic scramble for a new Democratic candidate. The book suggests that this crisis could have been avoided if Democratic leadership had acted on their knowledge of Biden’s condition earlier, rather than participating in what the authors characterize as a systematic cover-up that ultimately damaged public trust.
Sources:
- Top Democrats Dodge Questions About Biden’s Fitness Amid Bombshell Book – Newsweek
- CNN Anchors Take Turns Asking Hakeem Jeffries About Biden’s Mental Decline: ‘Why Should Voters Trust Democrats?’
- Watch Hakeem Jeffries Squirm When Pressed on Biden Cover-Up – PJ Media
