Tue May 20 21:30:00 UTC 2025: Here’s a summarized news article based on the provided text:

**Biden’s Decline: New Book Details Hidden Struggles, Cancer Diagnosis Follows Withdrawal From Race**

A new book co-authored by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, titled “Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again,” paints a picture of a president whose cognitive abilities had noticeably declined. The book alleges that aides propped up Biden, who struggled to recognize allies, lost his train of thought, and forgot important events.

Tapper, who moderated the June 2024 debate between Biden and then-candidate Donald Trump, admits regretting not covering Biden’s decline more aggressively, noting that legacy media was “late to that story”. Biden’s halting performance at the debate led to widespread shock among Democrats and ultimately, his withdrawal from the presidential race a month later.

Adding to the tragedy, Biden’s office recently announced that the former president has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that has metastasized. Tapper described the book as a “tragedy” about a man who overcame immense personal hardship, but whose perceived invincibility ultimately led to a situation where he ran for president despite his declining health.
The authors also allege that the White House engaged in a “cover-up” by shielding Biden from public scrutiny and scripting even cabinet meetings.
Tapper also noted the media’s lack of trust with the public, saying it was an “existential fight for a free press”.

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