Hey Whttries,

Today, we’re cracking open a political thriller so real it made our podcast mic sweat.

Original Sin by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson reads like House of Cards crossed with All the President’s Men, but it’s not fiction. This is the inside story of how President Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign became an American tragedy—one wrapped in silence, self-deception, and a debate performance that unraveled an entire administration.

At the center is a haunting question: What happens when the most powerful people in the world choose to look the other way? And what role does the press play when it’s already part of the pageantry?

What’s the Buzz?

Since its release last month, Original Sin has rocketed to the top of bestseller lists and dominated headlines across the political spectrum. The book details Biden’s cognitive decline and the inner-circle efforts to mask it—leading up to that June 2024 debate moderated by Tapper himself. What makes this exposé so compelling is that it doesn’t let anyone off the hook—not Biden, not his team, not even the media.

Tapper and Thompson draw from over 200 interviews to piece together a story that’s less about one man and more about a system addicted to narrative control. From campaign aides shielding the president from unscripted moments, to journalists questioning the obvious too late, the book offers a scathing indictment of how institutions—governmental and journalistic—chose optics over honesty. It’s messy, complicated, and painfully timely. If you’ve felt like you’ve been living in a surreal news cycle for the past year… well, this book is the prequel you didn’t know you were already starring in.

Why You Should Listen

In today’s episode, we explore:

• 🧠 The Tragedy of Denial: How Biden’s decline became the secret everyone shared—and no one stopped.

• 🎙 Inside the Debate: Tapper’s firsthand account of moderating the moment America realized something was deeply off.

• 🕵️‍♀️ Media Accountability: Why the press waited too long to ask the hard questions—and what we risk by doing it again.

• ⚖️ Moral Cost: What happens when the "greater good" becomes a shield against truth?

This isn’t just a political book—it’s a conversation starter on trust, leadership, and who gets to write the narrative when the stakes are this high.

About the Author

Jake Tapper is CNN’s chief Washington correspondent and anchor of The Lead with Jake Tapper. Known for grilling politicians and authoring political thrillers, he’s now telling one of the realest—and riskiest—stories of his career.

Alex Thompson is a veteran political reporter for Axios and former White House correspondent for Politico, with a reputation for tough reporting and airtight sourcing.

✨ Fun Fact ✨

Tapper said he rewatched the 2024 debate “more times than he cares to admit” while writing this book. Oof.