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Democrats are experiencing an intense bout of whiplash from the Joe Biden<\/strong> news cycle.<\/p>\n New revelations<\/a> from a highly anticipated book, Original Sin,<\/em> by CNN\u2019s Jake Tapper<\/strong> and Axios\u2019s Alex Thompson<\/strong>, have reopened old wounds from the 2024 election, with elected officials\u2014and even some 2028 hopefuls\u2014facing uncomfortable questions this past week about Biden\u2019s cognitive decline in office and his fateful decision to run for reelection. Original Sin<\/em>, which officially hits shelves Tuesday, adds fresh reporting on the race, and follows a couple books, Chris Whipple<\/strong>\u2019s Uncharted<\/em><\/a> and Amie Parnes<\/strong> and Jon Allen<\/strong>\u2019s Fight<\/em><\/a>, which also delved into Biden\u2019s bungled candidacy and the party\u2019s loss to Donald Trump.<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s a conversation many in Biden\u2019s party would prefer to avoid, and indeed, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg<\/strong> argued<\/a> that the Democrats are \u201cnot in a position to wallow in hindsight\u201d as they\u2019ve got \u201csome fundamental tests for the future of the country and this party.\u201d Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer<\/strong> expressed a similar sentiment<\/a> telling reporters on Tuesday, \u201cWe\u2019re just looking forward.\u201d Last week, in response to the news cycle, a spokesperson from Biden\u2019s office argued<\/a>, \u201cWe’re 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.”<\/p>\n But such sentiments couldn\u2019t slow a flood of leaks and excerpts detailing previously unreported instances of health lapses, including Biden not recognizing George Clooney<\/strong> at a fundraiser<\/a> and internal suggestions that he use a wheelchair<\/a> if elected to a second term. The book also explores the tactics that the White House engaged in to dissuade the media from reporting on said health concerns, including a strategy that encouraged Democratic operatives to attack journalists publicly.<\/p>\n Some Democrats opted to publicly distance themselves from Biden and the administration\u2019s calculated strategy to keep his health decline out of the public eye. During an appearance<\/a> on Pod Save America<\/em>, Beto O\u2019Rourke<\/strong> argued that \u201cBiden should not have run again,\u201d in 2024, adding that he \u201cfailed this country in the most important job that he had.\u201d In a statement<\/a> to the Washington Post<\/em>, Rep. Ro Khanna<\/strong> said<\/a>, \u201cIn my few interactions at public events, I found him coherent and proud of his record, but it is now painfully obvious he should not have run.\u201d Even Buttigieg acknowledged<\/a> that \u201cmaybe\u201d Democrats would\u2019ve been better off if Biden had not run again. Right now, with the benefit of hindsight,\u201d he said, \u201cI think most people would agree that that\u2019s the case.\u201d<\/p>\n The discourse even made its way to Saturday Night Live<\/em>, where \u201cWeekend Update\u201d coanchor Colin Jost<\/strong> joked<\/a> that \u201caccording to a new tell-all book, Biden\u2019s inner circle reveals that they were worried the president would need a wheelchair in his second term. Especially after they were all done stabbing him in the back.\u201d The following morning, Khanna was on ABC\u2019s This Week<\/em> reiterating<\/a> that \u201cobviously, he should not have run,\u201d while over on Meet the Press, Senator Chris Murphy<\/strong> told<\/a> NBC News\u2019s Kristen Welker<\/strong> that \u201cin retrospect, you can’t defend what the Democratic Party did because we are stuck with a madman, a corrupt president in the Oval Office, and we should’ve given ourselves a better chance to win.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n