Biden aides worried he'd be in a wheelchair after 2024 election: book

A forthcoming book from CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson has revealed that advisors had discussed in private the possibility of Joe Biden requiring a wheelchair if he won another term in the White House.

The authors wrote in the book Original Sin, "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," per Axios.

Biden’s physician Kevin O’Connor also said privately that given Biden’s age, “If he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery," the book stated.

Biden’s aides believed that Biden using a wheelchair during his re-election campaign would have been politically untenable.

The book, which will be released on May 20, is based on interviews with over 200 people, many of whom are Democratic insiders, who had knowledge of the events that took place in Biden’s final two years as president.

Fears over Biden falling increased after he tripped over a sandbag in June 2023 at the Air Force Academy. Aides took additional precautions to avoid a repeat after that, including shorter walking paths, handrails, frequent wearing of sneakers, and more in-depth visual briefings ahead of events.

O’Connor had expressed concerns in private over the toll the presidency was having on Biden’s health, often arguing for more rest time to be added into Biden’s schedule. Per Axios, "O'Connor sometimes quipped that Biden's staff members were trying to kill him, while he was trying to keep him alive."

Biden’s aides told reporters throughout 2024 that his halting walk was partially due to a fractured foot he had suffered in November 2020 and the subsequent refusal to wear the required walking boot while it healed. O’Connor, however, had noted that both small fractures of his foot are completely healed" and that "this injury has healed as expected" after he wore the boot, and that Biden had "mild post-­fracture foot arthritis." To explain the changes to Biden’s gait, O’Connor focused on "significant spinal arthritis."

A Biden spokesperson who requested to remain anonymous said in a statement that Biden's "medical exam made clear that he had a stiffened gait caused, in part, by wear and tear to his spine — but that no special treatment was necessary and that it had not worsened."

"He was transparent about this, and it was far from 'severe.' Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity," the statement added. "And 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."