Joe Biden, his family and his senior aides were convinced that only he could beat Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election. So convinced, in fact, that that they embarked upon a remarkable campaign of denial and gaslighting against the American public - lying to themselves, allies, the media and voters about his true condition.
Only now is the full, unsettling truth coming to light. Here, two of America's best-respected political journalists take us behind closed doors to reveal the extent of Biden's decline and who knew about it, from White House staffers to senators to Hollywood celebrities. They paint President Biden's decision to run for re-election as shockingly narcissistic, delusional and reckless - and the wider cover-up as an act of unprecedented public deception.
The story the authors tell raises fundamental issues of accountability and responsibility that will endure for decades. In the name of defeating what they called an existential threat to democracy, Biden and his inner circle all but ensured it, denying the existence of health issues the nation had been watching for years. His decision to run again was the original sin of his presidency - the moment that led directly to Donald Trump's return to power and all that has come since.