WASHINGTON, DC: In a new book set to be released this month, former White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain reveals startling details about former President Joe Biden’s condition ahead of his June debate with President Donald Trump.
According to Chris Whipple’s ‘Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,’ Klain described Biden as “fatigued, befuddled, and disengaged” prior to the highly anticipated debate.
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Chris Whipple details Ron Klain’s shock over Joe Biden’s exhaustion before June debate
Whipple recounts an early meeting between Klain and Biden at the president’s cabin in Aspen Lodge, where the former chief of staff was shocked by Biden’s state.
“At his first meeting with Biden in Aspen Lodge, the president’s cabin,” Whipple writes, “Klain ‘was startled. He’d never seen him so exhausted and out of it.’ Biden was unaware of what was happening in his own campaign.”
He further adds, “Halfway through the session, the president excused himself and went off to sit by the pool,” according to an excerpt published by The Guardian.
Whipple’s book reveals that Klain, a close ally of the president and a key supporter, served as Biden’s chief of staff from 2021 until 2023.
He also helped prepare Biden for the June debate against Trump. Whipple details that the president’s condition at the time left Klain concerned about the potential fallout of the debate.
“The president was fatigued, befuddled, and disengaged,” Whipple writes. “Klain feared the debate with Trump would be a nationally televised disaster.”
Mock debates challenge Ron Klain as he grows concerned over Joe Biden’s struggles
To remedy the situation, the debate preparation team quickly organized two mock debates. However, even these practice sessions proved challenging.
Whipple notes that the first mock debate, initially planned to last 90 minutes, was called off after just 45 minutes.
“The president’s voice was shot and so was his grasp of the subject,” Whipple writes. “All he really could talk about was his infrastructure plan and how he was rebuilding America and 16 million jobs. He had nothing to say about his agenda for a second term.”
Klain reportedly became increasingly concerned as Biden struggled to keep up with the preparation.
Whipple writes that the president was visibly irritable, pushing back on Klain’s suggestions.
“25 minutes into the second mock debate, the president was done for the day. ‘I’m just too tired to continue and I’m afraid of losing my voice here and I feel bad,’” Klain said, according to the excerpt. “‘I just need some sleep. I’ll be fine tomorrow.’ He went off to bed.”
Whipple’s book further delves into the internal dynamics surrounding Biden’s campaign, describing an atmosphere of denial among many of the president’s closest aides.
