Former President Joe Biden’s team reportedly considered the possibility of using a wheelchair if he were re-elected in 2024, according to the upcoming book “Original Sin.” The book, authored by CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, suggests that the information shared with the public regarding then-President Biden’s physical health frequently contradicted assessments from his personal physician.
“Biden’s physical deterioration — most apparent in his halting walk — had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn’t do so until after the election,” Tapper and Thompson wrote. Biden’s doctor indicated that a wheelchair may be necessary, particularly if the president were to fall, as his age and health could prolong recovery. “Given Biden’s age, [his physician Kevin O’Connor] also privately said that if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery,” the book reads.
Biden’s team expressed concerns about the risk of him falling and implemented precautions, such as having him use the shorter staircase on Air Force One and wear shoes designed for better stability. However, according to the book, Dr. O’Connor often felt that the president’s aides were not doing enough to ensure he was taking the necessary precautions and getting adequate rest. “O’Connor sometimes quipped that Biden’s staff members were trying to kill him, while he was trying to keep him alive,” Axios reported.
Another point of tension between Dr. O’Connor and Biden’s team occurred after a 2020 fall in which Biden fractured his foot. Following more than two months of wearing a walking boot, O’Connor declared that “both small fractures of his foot are completely healed” and that “this injury has healed as expected.” However, in 2024, as critics increasingly pointed out the president’s awkward gait, aides suggested that his uneven step was due to his refusal to wear the boot for the full duration of his recovery from the foot fractures. “In short, they said, Biden was being undone by his own vigor,” Axios reported.
Biden’s team has responded to early reports from the book, saying, “So far, we are still waiting for someone, anyone, to point out where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or make a presidential address where he was unable to do his job because of mental decline. In fact, the evidence points to the opposite — he was a very effective president.”
