In his upcoming book, “Uncharted: How Trump Beat Biden, Harris, and the Odds in the Wildest Campaign in History,” author Chris Whipple reveals that Ron Klain, former White House Chief of Staff, expressed deep concern over Joe Biden‘s mental and physical state prior to the June 2024 debate against Donald Trump. Klain observed that Biden appeared disengaged, forgetful and overly fixated on foreign affairs, often neglecting pressing domestic issues like inflation. During debate preparations at Camp David, Biden struggled to recall key points, leading Klain to worry about his readiness.
In one striking excerpt, Klain allegedly confided fears that Biden, then 81, believed he was “president of NATO.”
“He just became very enraptured with being the head of NATO,” the former adviser reportedly said. “Domestic political leaders don’t really care what [French President Emmanuel] Macron and [German Chancellor Olaf] Scholz think.”
Klain has since pushed back on the claims, telling The Washington Post on Wednesday that he “never doubted the president’s mental acuity”—an effort to contain growing fallout from the book’s revelations.
Despite Klain’s public affirmations of Biden’s mental fitness, the book greatly details his private alarm at the president’s condition. Biden’s debate performance was historically bad; he appeared incoherent and confused, which intensified concerns within the Democratic Party about his capacity to continue his reelection campaign. Subsequently, Biden withdrew from the race under pressure, paving the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the nominee, who ultimately lost to Trump in an Electoral College landslide.
The New York Post has additional details:
“He had become singularly focused on foreign policy and detached from Democratic allies in the pursuit of GOP support on Ukraine and Israel,” Klain said of his impressions of the 46th president.
“He thought that being a great foreign policy president was enough.”
Biden shocked a worldwide audience with his performance in the debate, appearing vacuous and struggling to make coherent points — even saying at one point that he “finally beat Medicare.”
Although Biden and his allies blamed illness for the weak performance, fellow Democrats forced him to end his campaign for re-election weeks later over concern about his perceived cognitive decline — setting the stage for then-Vice President Kamala Harris’ unsuccessful substitute candidacy.
The book also discloses that Nancy Pelosi, former House speaker, secretly attempted to dissuade Biden from participating in the debate, fearing it would diminish his stature and expose vulnerabilities. Despite her best efforts, Biden forged ahead, leading to a performance universally viewed as detrimental to his campaign and legacy.
Whipple’s revelations have sparked renewed discussions about the transparency of Biden’s aides regarding his health and the internal dynamics that influenced pivotal decisions during the 2024 election cycle.
“Uncharted” arrives in bookstores nationwide on April 8.
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