A recent clip from a May 2025 interview with Jake Tapper describes how a small circle within Joe Biden’s administration wielded unprecedented control over the president’s schedule, decision-making process, and access to information. The interview is part of Tapper’s book Original Sin, co-authored with Alex Thompson.

In the clip, Tapper details a group of advisers who referred to themselves as the “Politburo.” According to their reporting, this circle concentrated immense authority over Biden during 2023 and 2024. The authors state that Cabinet secretaries, White House employees, and Democratic officials faced restricted access to the president through tightly controlled scheduling, information flows, and decision framing.

Published on May 20, 2025, Original Sin identifies key advisers including Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, Bruce Reed, and Ron Klain, as well as influential figures from the Biden family such as Jill Biden, Hunter Biden, Anthony Bernal, and Annie Tomasini. The book describes how this group managed presidential access while concealing the extent of Biden’s decline.

A report released by the House Oversight Committee in October 2025 alleged that senior officials concealed President Biden’s decline through restricted access, scripted appearances, and tightly managed scheduling. The committee cited interviews with former Biden aides including Donilon, Ricchetti, Reed, Klain, Bernal, and Tomasini.

The account reveals a system where a small group of unelected advisers controlled pathways for information and decisions to reach the president. While Tapper acknowledged that Biden retained some agency, this structure has raised significant concerns about presidential decision-making processes. The report first emerged in 2025 but is now experiencing renewed attention online.