CNN’s Tapper Reveals New Details from His Book on Biden: ‘In Meetings, Biden Would Occasionally Be Mumbling and Not Making Much Sense’

TAPPER We re back ░░░░░░░░ breaking news in our ░░░░░░░░ lead and a brand ░░░░░░░░ excerpt from my upcoming ░░░░░░░░ with Axios Alex Thompson ░░░░░░░░ s called Original Sin ░░░░░░░░ s coming out next ░░░░░░░░ May 20th Right now ░░░░░░░░ re going to reveal ░░░░░░░░ new details about how ░░░░░░░░ of the most important ░░░░░░░░ in the Biden Administration ░░░░░░░░ kept away from President ░░░░░░░░ during the second half ░░░░░░░░ his term We spoke ░░░░░░░░ three different cabinet secretaries ░░░░░░░░ told us that Biden ░░░░░░░░ inner circle shielded the ░░░░░░░░ from them in 2023 ░░░░░░░░ 2024 The cabinet secretaries ░░░░░░░░ no longer even directly ░░░░░░░░ the president in any ░░░░░░░░ way Instead they briefed ░░░░░░░░ White House aides who ░░░░░░░░ then speak to Biden ░░░░░░░░ in the rare instances ░░░░░░░░ secretaries did see him ░░░░░░░░ cabinet secretary told me ░░░░░░░░ Biden was disoriented and ░░░░░░░░ of it with other ░░░░░░░░ saying that in meetings ░░░░░░░░ would occasionally be mumbling ░░░░░░░░ not making much sense ░░░░░░░░ presidency requires someone who ░░░░░░░░ perform at 2 AM ░░░░░░░░ an emergency we write ░░░░░░░░ the book Cabinet secretaries ░░░░░░░░ his own administration told ░░░░░░░░ that by 2024 he ░░░░░░░░ not be relied upon ░░░░░░░░ this These new details ░░░░░░░░ on the heels of ░░░░░░░░ excerpts released yesterday One ░░░░░░░░ in The New Yorker ░░░░░░░░ that President Biden did ░░░░░░░░ recognize George Clooney at ░░░░░░░░ 2024 fundraiser despite personally ░░░░░░░░ him for more than ░░░░░░░░ years and Clooney s ░░░░░░░░ fame as a movie ░░░░░░░░ Not to mention the ░░░░░░░░ he was headlining the ░░░░░░░░ The other excerpt first ░░░░░░░░ in Axios detailing how ░░░░░░░░ were privately discussing putting ░░░░░░░░ in a wheelchair for ░░░░░░░░ potential second term because ░░░░░░░░ his physical deterioration and ░░░░░░░░ in case there was ░░░░░░░░ fall Clip starts Biden ░░░░░░░░ s why I wanted ░░░░░░░░ convene this cabinet meeting ░░░░░░░░ That was just one ░░░░░░░░ three cabinet meetings President ░░░░░░░░ held in 2023 And ░░░░░░░░ 2024 the president would ░░░░░░░░ only one We spoke ░░░░░░░░ several cabinet secretaries for ░░░░░░░░ book and this period ░░░░░░░░ time is what one ░░░░░░░░ the secretaries called the ░░░░░░░░ period detailed in a ░░░░░░░░ new excerpt of my ░░░░░░░░ book with Axios s ░░░░░░░░ Thompson It says The ░░░░░░░░ requires someone who can ░░░░░░░░ at 2 AM during ░░░░░░░░ emergency Cabinet secretaries in ░░░░░░░░ own administration told us ░░░░░░░░ by 2024 he could ░░░░░░░░ be relied upon for ░░░░░░░░ The book is based ░░░░░░░░ more than 200 interviews ░░░░░░░░ with Democratic insiders almost ░░░░░░░░ of which occurred after ░░░░░░░░ 2024 election was over ░░░░░░░░ it provides a striking ░░░░░░░░ at how the circle ░░░░░░░░ people with access to ░░░░░░░░ president grew smaller and ░░░░░░░░ in the last two ░░░░░░░░ of his term Biden ░░░░░░░░ talk to my staff ░░░░░░░░ of you talk to ░░░░░░░░ staff Sometimes my staff ░░░░░░░░ a lot TAPPER Shrinking ░░░░░░░░ small that ultimately most ░░░░░░░░ secretaries were not included ░░░░░░░░ who Biden lauded for ░░░░░░░░ they could bring to ░░░░░░░░ country Biden It s ░░░░░░░░ cabinet that s battle ░░░░░░░░ qualified experienced creative innovative ░░░░░░░░ forward looking TAPPER Despite ░░░░░░░░ earlier praise the third ░░░░░░░░ secretary we spoke with ░░░░░░░░ us that starting in ░░░░░░░░ for months we didn ░░░░░░░░ have access to him ░░░░░░░░ was clearly a deliberate ░░░░░░░░ by the White House ░░░░░░░░ have him meet with ░░░░░░░░ few people as necessary ░░░░░░░░ cabinet secretary adding that ░░░░░░░░ October 2023 on the ░░░░░░░░ was kept at bay ░░░░░░░░ few exceptions Those with ░░░░░░░░ security roles for example ░░░░░░░░ as Secretary of State ░░░░░░░░ and Defense Secretary Austin ░░░░░░░░ It is my honor ░░░░░░░░ introduce the president of ░░░░░░░░ United States TAPPER And ░░░░░░░░ was not just cabinet ░░░░░░░░ who were kept away ░░░░░░░░ the president Aides who ░░░░░░░░ once seen Biden regularly ░░░░░░░░ they went months without ░░░░░░░░ him Others told us ░░░░░░░░ in some meetings Biden ░░░░░░░░ mumble incoherently something the ░░░░░░░░ only got glimpses of ░░░░░░░░ It is used to ░░░░░░░░ the brewed beer inaudible ░░░░░░░░ The first cabinet secretary ░░░░░░░░ spoke with told us ░░░░░░░░ thought at some point ░░░░░░░░ restrictions were about control ░░░░░░░░ the president is making ░░░░░░░░ decisions but if the ░░░░░░░░ circle is shaping them ░░░░░░░░ such a way is ░░░░░░░░ really a decision they ░░░░░░░░ us Are they leading ░░░░░░░░ to something The third ░░░░░░░░ secretary told me they ░░░░░░░░ him in every meeting ░░░░░░░░ always wanted to keep ░░░░░░░░ happy They would say ░░░░░░░░ t say that Don ░░░░░░░░ tell him that They ░░░░░░░░ wanted to shield him ░░░░░░░░ bad news But at ░░░░░░░░ times it seemed the ░░░░░░░░ circle was doing everything ░░░░░░░░ could to hide the ░░░░░░░░ to which Biden was ░░░░░░░░ During one rare meeting ░░░░░░░░ that time the third ░░░░░░░░ secretary told me they ░░░░░░░░ shocked by how the ░░░░░░░░ was acting He seemed ░░░░░░░░ and out of it ░░░░░░░░ don t think he ░░░░░░░░ dementia said cabinet secretary ░░░░░░░░ two but the thing ░░░░░░░░ he s an old ░░░░░░░░ The president can give ░░░░░░░░ four to six good ░░░░░░░░ a day When he ░░░░░░░░ tired sloppy isn t ░░░░░░░░ right word but his ░░░░░░░░ was down The third ░░░░░░░░ secretary later reminisced The ░░░░░░░░ did him wrong If ░░░░░░░░ were with him every ░░░░░░░░ and you knew this ░░░░░░░░ a problem why didn ░░░░░░░░ you go to him ░░░░░░░░ say something As for ░░░░░░░░ second cabinet secretary If ░░░░░░░░ had asked me they ░░░░░░░░ I would have told ░░░░░░░░ do one term and ░░░░░░░░ re done to preserve ░░░░░░░░ legacy They would all ░░░░░░░░ learn that they were ░░░░░░░░ from the only ones ░░░░░░░░ these concerns Clip ends ░░░░░░░░ A Biden spokesperson responded ░░░░░░░░ our reporting with a ░░░░░░░░ saying in part we ░░░░░░░░ to await anything that ░░░░░░░░ where Joe Biden had ░░░░░░░░ make a presidential decision ░░░░░░░░ national security was threatened ░░░░░░░░ where he was unable ░░░░░░░░ do his job In ░░░░░░░░ the evidence points to ░░░░░░░░ opposite He was very ░░░░░░░░ effective president And to ░░░░░░░░ I say the book ░░░░░░░░ on Tuesday and we ░░░░░░░░ have more on his ░░░░░░░░ as president and the ░░░░░░░░ being raised there.”