Joe Biden said he could “beat the hell out of” CNN’s Jake Tapper Friday, firing back against the anchor’s new book that painted a damning portrait of his mental capabilities.
Biden has faced a fresh onslaught of attacks on his decision to run for president since Original Sin‘s release earlier this month. The book, co-authored by Axios reporter Alex Thompson, reported that Biden’s failing health was concealed by aides and loved ones.
Asked by a CNN reporter whether he wanted to respond to the attacks on Friday, Biden had a fiery, sarcastic answer.
“You can see that I’m mentally incompetent, and I can’t walk, and I can beat the hell out of both of them,” he said, seemingly referring to Tapper and Thompson.
One of the revelations from Original Sin was that Biden’s circle of advisers was considering getting the president a wheelchair if he was reelected. The book also reported that Biden did not recognize his long-time friend George Clooney at a Hollywood fundraise in June 2024.
The book is full of quotes from members of Biden’s inner circle who offered firsthand accounts of the president’s cognitive challenges and their effect on his reelection campaign.
Kamala Harris’ campaign manager, David Plouffe, told Tapper and Thompson that Biden had “totally f—ed us” by leaving little more than three months for her to campaign by the time he dropped out.
The crisis PR firm retained by Original Sin‘s authors for the book’s release declined to comment to the Daily Beast on Biden’s fighting words.
Biden, 82, made the comment about the reporters at a press gaggle following his first speech since he was diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer on May 18.
During the address, he revealed that he has begun taking treatment in the form of a pill.
“The expectation is we’re going to be able to beat this,” he said. “It’s not in any organ, it’s in—my bones are strong, it hadn’t penetrated. So, I’m feeling good.”
After challenging his critics to a brawl, Biden made it clear that he has no qualms about his decision to run for reelection.
Asked about his Democrat rivals who have criticized his decision, Biden retorted, “Why didn’t they run against me then? Because I’d have beaten them.”
“No, I don’t have any regrets,” he said. “I think we’re at one of those inflection points in history, where the decisions we make in the next little bit are going to determine what things look like for the next 20 years.”
While Biden has shied away from addressing the book’s claims, his eldest granddaughter has ripped into the reporting as “irresponsible.”
“If anyone is curious for a review from someone who lived it first-hand: this book is political fairy smut for the permanent, professional chattering class,” Naomi Biden wrote on X earlier in May, adding that Tapper and Thompson were “out to make a quick buck.”
Long before the book’s release, Biden had been a target of blame from Democrats for Donald Trump’s victory in 2024. The octogenarian had remained in the race despite concerns about his age and mental acuity until a disastrous June debate showing versus Trump.
