RUSH TRANSCRIPT Joining me ░░░░░░░░ Axios political correspondent Alex ░░░░░░░░ good to have you ░░░░░░░░ today Good to be ░░░░░░░░ Shannon start with the ░░░░░░░░ in the room the ░░░░░░░░ coverage of this You ░░░░░░░░ won an award from ░░░░░░░░ White House correspondents concerning ░░░░░░░░ reporting on Biden and ░░░░░░░░ important inner workings of ░░░░░░░░ bind White House in ░░░░░░░░ the award you acknowledged ░░░░░░░░ missed some of this ░░░░░░░░ is more that could ░░░░░░░░ been done but everyday ░░░░░░░░ who are watching the ░░░░░░░░ of things like we ░░░░░░░░ on the screen now ░░░░░░░░ say we re not ░░░░░░░░ Washington not at the ░░░░░░░░ House seeing this every ░░░░░░░░ we could see this ░░░░░░░░ real time why couldn ░░░░░░░░ most of the Washington ░░░░░░░░ corps I would say ░░░░░░░░ there s a big ░░░░░░░░ between what you re ░░░░░░░░ on the screen there ░░░░░░░░ then what was going ░░░░░░░░ behind the scenes by ░░░░░░░░ inner circle of the ░░░░░░░░ White House to try ░░░░░░░░ shield that part of ░░░░░░░░ Biden But for people ░░░░░░░░ in the country that ░░░░░░░░ frustrated with the media ░░░░░░░░ I don t blame ░░░░░░░░ because they were saying ░░░░░░░░ s probably more here ░░░░░░░░ the media definitely talked ░░░░░░░░ his age and did ░░░░░░░░ those clips but I ░░░░░░░░ think we didn t ░░░░░░░░ more probe enough into ░░░░░░░░ was actually going on ░░░░░░░░ the scenes and that ░░░░░░░░ what we really try ░░░░░░░░ do in this book ░░░░░░░░ well fair to say ░░░░░░░░ that those who did ░░░░░░░░ question what we were ░░░░░░░░ and try the push ░░░░░░░░ more answers they were ░░░░░░░░ belittled or kind of ░░░░░░░░ today sended to about ░░░░░░░░ they would even ask ░░░░░░░░ questions I cover this ░░░░░░░░ back since 2021 and ░░░░░░░░ through 2023 and 2024 ░░░░░░░░ the book says that ░░░░░░░░ know at times I ░░░░░░░░ even frustrated that there ░░░░░░░░ t and I felt ░░░░░░░░ little bit on the ░░░░░░░░ with some of my ░░░░░░░░ not all I think ░░░░░░░░ were a lot of ░░░░░░░░ that were really trying ░░░░░░░░ cover this story and ░░░░░░░░ people in the White ░░░░░░░░ were lying and not ░░░░░░░░ the truth and securing ░░░░░░░░ But yeah I mean ░░░░░░░░ think it s fair ░░░░░░░░ s why I made ░░░░░░░░ comments at the speech ░░░░░░░░ think you know this ░░░░░░░░ a good moment for ░░░░░░░░ like reflecting on why ░░░░░░░░ we missed some of ░░░░░░░░ details that we finally ░░░░░░░░ in this book Shannon ░░░░░░░░ some of those were ░░░░░░░░ at the time in ░░░░░░░░ time for more answers ░░░░░░░░ want to play a ░░░░░░░░ bit of the responses ░░░░░░░░ were getting from Biden ░░░░░░░░ inner circle I think ░░░░░░░░ all have called this ░░░░░░░░ cheap fakes video and ░░░░░░░░ s exactly what they ░░░░░░░░ they are cheap fakes ░░░░░░░░ The right wing critics ░░░░░░░░ the president have a ░░░░░░░░ problem The most difficult ░░░░░░░░ about a meeting with ░░░░░░░░ Biden is preparing for ░░░░░░░░ because he is sharp ░░░░░░░░ probing and detail oriented ░░░░░░░░ focused The president is ░░░░░░░░ sharp fit on top ░░░░░░░░ his game People can ░░░░░░░░ that for themselves You ░░░░░░░░ t have to take ░░░░░░░░ word foyer people can ░░░░░░░░ that for themselves Shannon ░░░░░░░░ felt like they saw ░░░░░░░░ different when they were ░░░░░░░░ for themselves All of ░░░░░░░░ quotations were in 2024 ░░░░░░░░ on having read your ░░░░░░░░ what you reported were ░░░░░░░░ people lying at the ░░░░░░░░ this idea that they ░░░░░░░░ t keep up with ░░░░░░░░ Biden that he was ░░░░░░░░ sharp They weren t ░░░░░░░░ the truth and the ░░░░░░░░ conclusively shows what was ░░░░░░░░ on behind the scenes ░░░░░░░░ 2023 and 2024 there ░░░░░░░░ steps taken to increasingly ░░░░░░░░ Joe Biden not just ░░░░░░░░ the public but from ░░░░░░░░ know members of his ░░░░░░░░ cabinet members of his ░░░░░░░░ senior staff and one ░░░░░░░░ House official who left ░░░░░░░░ 2024 told us that ░░░░░░░░ left in part because ░░░░░░░░ were not comfortable with ░░░░░░░░ they were trying to ░░░░░░░░ the extent of the ░░░░░░░░ of Joe Biden that ░░░░░░░░ saw on the debate ░░░░░░░░ I think the book ░░░░░░░░ that it was not ░░░░░░░░ first time that Joe ░░░░░░░░ acted like that you ░░░░░░░░ listen to the tapes ░░░░░░░░ the Robert Hur investigation ░░░░░░░░ can kind of hear ░░░░░░░░ Biden and there were ░░░░░░░░ frantic efforts to make ░░░░░░░░ that the public did ░░░░░░░░ see debate Biden While ░░░░░░░░ public did see that ░░░░░░░░ was aging I think ░░░░░░░░ debate was a shock ░░░░░░░░ millions of Americans because ░░░░░░░░ the extent of it ░░░░░░░░ well and you mentioned ░░░░░░░░ the book you talked ░░░░░░░░ a number of cabinet ░░░░░░░░ I thought this was ░░░░░░░░ illuminating and a little ░░░░░░░░ frightening because some of ░░░░░░░░ told you they didn ░░░░░░░░ think he could handle ░░░░░░░░ two arc m middle ░░░░░░░░ the night phone call ░░░░░░░░ s the commander in ░░░░░░░░ of the nuclear codes ░░░░░░░░ of them talked about ░░░░░░░░ him in person the ░░░░░░░░ year and was shocked ░░░░░░░░ he seemed disoriented his ░░░░░░░░ wag hanging open he ░░░░░░░░ out of it Did ░░░░░░░░ cabinet officials express any ░░░░░░░░ Did he they not ░░░░░░░░ an obligation to say ░░░░░░░░ the American people we ░░░░░░░░ t think this guy ░░░░░░░░ be the president much ░░░░░░░░ run for four more ░░░░░░░░ There s a lot ░░░░░░░░ self reflection about what ░░░░░░░░ anything they should of ░░░░░░░░ differently There was a ░░░░░░░░ of feelings of members ░░░░░░░░ the Democratic Party that ░░░░░░░░ seeing this or some ░░░░░░░░ of him seeming out ░░░░░░░░ it that going public ░░░░░░░░ not going to change ░░░░░░░░ mind It was only ░░░░░░░░ to help Donald Trump ░░░░░░░░ I think that s ░░░░░░░░ a lot of them ░░░░░░░░ it Whether or not ░░░░░░░░ will judge them you ░░░░░░░░ as being right for ░░░░░░░░ that you know we ░░░░░░░░ see But this is ░░░░░░░░ part of the reason ░░░░░░░░ the White House was ░░░░░░░░ him from as many ░░░░░░░░ as possible including cabinet ░░░░░░░░ because sometimes you know ░░░░░░░░ see him once maybe ░░░░░░░░ s just a bad ░░░░░░░░ You can just say ░░░░░░░░ maybe I just had ░░░░░░░░ bad meeting you re ░░░░░░░░ really sure Shannon well ░░░░░░░░ did seem like there ░░░░░░░░ so many people who ░░░░░░░░ would have thought who ░░░░░░░░ access to him who ░░░░░░░░ t because of this ░░░░░░░░ circle that really much ░░░░░░░░ his schedule and time ░░░░░░░░ access in a way ░░░░░░░░ didn t give a ░░░░░░░░ of people you know ░░░░░░░░ on one time with ░░░░░░░░ In the book you ░░░░░░░░ I long time Biden ░░░░░░░░ basically admitting he shouldn ░░░░░░░░ be running again said ░░░░░░░░ you on page 85 ░░░░░░░░ just had to win ░░░░░░░░ then he could disappear ░░░░░░░░ four years he would ░░░░░░░░ have to show proof ░░░░░░░░ life every once in ░░░░░░░░ while his aides could ░░░░░░░░ up the slack Who ░░░░░░░░ have been running the ░░░░░░░░ House in a second ░░░░░░░░ This person went on ░░░░░░░░ say when you re ░░░░░░░░ for a president you ░░░░░░░░ voting for the aides ░░░░░░░░ him but these aides ░░░░░░░░ not even Senate confirmed ░░░░░░░░ these were White House ░░░░░░░░ unelected people and one ░░░░░░░░ the things that really ░░░░░░░░ think comes out in ░░░░░░░░ reporting here is that ░░░░░░░░ you believe and I ░░░░░░░░ a lot of these ░░░░░░░░ do sincerely believe that ░░░░░░░░ Trump was and is ░░░░░░░░ existential threat to democracy ░░░░░░░░ can Rationale eyes anything ░░░░░░░░ doing undemocratic things which ░░░░░░░░ what this person I ░░░░░░░░ is talking about Shannon ░░░░░░░░ want to ask you ░░░░░░░░ the president s doctor ░░░░░░░░ we have this unfortunate ░░░░░░░░ now about his cancer ░░░░░░░░ and you write about ░░░░░░░░ Kevin O Connor several ░░░░░░░░ the book but on ░░░░░░░░ 47 you say people ░░░░░░░░ Biden worry o connor ░░░░░░░░ called doc might be ░░░░░░░░ close to his patient ░░░░░░░░ write about his continued ░░░░░░░░ to ever give him ░░░░░░░░ cognitive test But knowing ░░░░░░░░ we know about the ░░░░░░░░ s health something that ░░░░░░░░ know a lot of ░░░░░░░░ professionals including zeek emanuel ░░░░░░░░ is no conservative says ░░░░░░░░ may have had this ░░░░░░░░ probably for years Was ░░░░░░░░ O connor too close ░░░░░░░░ him to significantly and ░░░░░░░░ probe both his mental ░░░░░░░░ physical health Zeek manual ░░░░░░░░ not only no Republican ░░░░░░░░ also worked on Joe ░░░░░░░░ s Covid team and ░░░░░░░░ basically said that it ░░░░░░░░ almost certain that Joe ░░░░░░░░ had this cancer while ░░░░░░░░ was president So that ░░░░░░░░ means that he had ░░░░░░░░ and his doctor did ░░░░░░░░ catch it or it ░░░░░░░░ that they did catch ░░░░░░░░ and they didn t ░░░░░░░░ it So it s ░░░░░░░░ more questions than not ░░░░░░░░ terms of I mean ░░░░░░░░ lot of people did ░░░░░░░░ that Kevin O Connor ░░░░░░░░ they believed he was ░░░░░░░░ man of integrity they ░░░░░░░░ felt that he had ░░░░░░░░ sort of you know ░░░░░░░░ into this Biden orbit ░░░░░░░░ call it a version ░░░░░░░░ reality distortion field and ░░░░░░░░ know the other thing ░░░░░░░░ that Kevin O Connor ░░░░░░░░ also very involved with ░░░░░░░░ Biden s late son ░░░░░░░░ s cancer treatments And ░░░░░░░░ sort of bonded them ░░░░░░░░ a way that I ░░░░░░░░ made people a little ░░░░░░░░ And even people that ░░░░░░░░ love Kevin O Connor ░░░░░░░░ by all accounts he ░░░░░░░░ beloved throughout the White ░░░░░░░░ you know even long ░░░░░░░░ Biden aides have told ░░░░░░░░ that they are skeptical ░░░░░░░░ feel like they don ░░░░░░░░ have all the information ░░░░░░░░ it comes to this ░░░░░░░░ diagnosis Shannon maybe James ░░░░░░░░ will be the one ░░░░░░░░ probes that if this ░░░░░░░░ into astein a situation ░░░░░░░░ the hill It s ░░░░░░░░ fascinating read in a ░░░░░░░░ that is almost like ░░░░░░░░ can t turn away ░░░░░░░░ a train wreck you ░░░░░░░░ watching happen Having this ░░░░░░░░ that we have now ░░░░░░░░ thank you very much ░░░░░░░░ coming on Thanks for ░░░░░░░░ me.