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America is waking up to a truth many suspected, but few dared to say out loud. Former President Joe Biden, the leader of the free world, was not entirely in charge during some of the most critical years of his presidency. The recently released book “Original Sin,” by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson, lays out in painful detail a scandal that may well be the biggest of our era: a cover-up of the president’s decline, executed by those closest to him and enabled by an obedient political class and a complicit media.

This was not just about an aging man who slowed down. According to the book, based on nearly 200 interviews with senior White House officials, Democratic strategists and other insiders, President Biden frequently forgot names, even those of his own national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, and close allies like George Clooney. Staff privately discussed whether he needed a wheelchair. His schedule was carefully limited, his access to the press tightly managed and key decisions were increasingly made not by him but those around him.

Let us pause and think about that. Who was making those decisions? If the president was not capable, who was really running the country? Was it Chief of Staff Ron Klain or his successor, Jeff Zients? First Lady Jill Biden? Cabinet members? Or a shadow circle of advisers acting in his name? More importantly, who knew and chose to say nothing?

The answer is nearly everyone in power. Members of Congress, top donors, Democratic operatives and members of the press all knew something was wrong. Yet they continued to assure the public that Biden was “sharp,” “focused” and “fit to serve.” They brushed off any concern about his age as “right-wing smears” or “misinformation.” Hollywood elites, late-night television show hosts and social media influencers joined in, mocking anyone who dared ask real questions.

They were not just wrong. They were lying.

This was not a momentary lapse in judgment but a coordinated effort to mislead the American people. It was a calculated political gamble: keep Biden on the ticket, protect the brand and do whatever it takes to hold on to power. Truth was sacrificed for strategy. Integrity was buried for the sake of winning.

Even when signs of decline were impossible to ignore, his stumbling debate performances, long pauses mid-speech, lost trains of thought and confusion about global leaders led Democratic leaders to close ranks. When Tapper, who now admits that the media fell short, says this scandal “may be worse than Watergate,” we should listen.

Because unlike Watergate, which involved the abuse of power in a reelection campaign, this deception significantly shaped America’s national security, economy and global standing. For years, the US was led by someone who was increasingly not fully present, while those around him quietly managed the illusion.

We need to determine what decisions were made during this period and by whom. What was the real chain of command during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, when chaos erupted and American allies were left behind? Who shaped Washington’s response to rising tensions with Beijing, the war in Ukraine and the growing unrest at the southern border?

This was not a momentary lapse in judgment but a coordinated effort to mislead the American people.

Dalia Al-Aqidi

If Biden was unable to engage meaningfully, then these decisions were made by unelected staffers or advisers, people the American people never voted for.

This scandal goes beyond Biden. It reflects how far today’s Democratic Party is willing to go to protect its grip on power. Rather than face the truth and find a viable leader, they doubled down, attacked critics and told Americans to look the other way.

Even after Biden’s disastrous debate performance last June and his withdrawal from the 2024 election race the following month, the damage was done. Former Vice President Kamala Harris stepped in, but the voters had lost trust. The deception cost Democrats the White House and, more importantly, shattered public confidence.

This betrayal also sends a dangerous message: that image matters more than honesty, that loyalty to the party outweighs duty to the country and that political victory is worth more than democratic accountability.

Honesty should be a nonnegotiable principle, no matter who is in power. This scandal is not about defending a Republican or attacking a Democrat. It is about the responsibility that comes with leading the free world. It is about preserving dignity, transparency and the trust of the people.

If the roles were reversed, if a Republican president showed signs of severe cognitive decline, Democrats would be on every network demanding transparency, invoking the 25th Amendment and calling for impeachment. But when it was one of their own, they chose silence.

This is not just about Democrats versus Republicans. It is about truth versus power. And the American people deserve better than this kind of politics.

Those who stood by silently, including elected officials, Cabinet members, media figures and celebrities, owe the nation more than just a retrospective apology. They owe the country the truth, the whole truth. And they owe the people their resignation if they played a role in hiding this scandal.

This moment should be a turning point not just for one party but for the entire country. Leaders should be held accountable not only for what they do but for what they hide.

This is not just about one presidency, it is about a culture that allowed deception to masquerade as leadership. It is about the warning signs that were ignored, the voices that were silenced and the consequences that will echo for years.

The presidency is not a performance, it is a responsibility. And those who turned it into a cover story must be held to account.

Truth should never have a side; it must stand alone. That is the foundation of American democracy.

• Dalia Al-Aqidi is executive director at the American Center for Counter Extremism.