Biden’s White House was Run by a Secretive Inner Circle, New Book Claims

According to the bombshell new book Original Sin, it wasn’t the president himself — it was a behind-the-scenes cabal of loyalists, family members, and unelected operatives quietly calling the shots in what insiders called the “Politburo.”

Authors Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson pull back the curtain on what they claim was essentially a shadow government managing everything from economic policy to press access, as President Biden’s physical and cognitive health allegedly spiraled out of control.

“Five people were running the country,” one insider reportedly told the authors. “And Joe Biden was, at best, a senior member of the board.”

The ‘Politburo’ Inside the West Wing

In the Soviet Union, the Politburo was a ruling committee of elite party members who made decisions behind closed doors. Now, that same term is being used to describe Biden’s White House.

The key players? Senior adviser Mike Donilon, counselor Steve Ricchetti, deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, and ex-chief of staff Ron Klain. But it wasn’t just longtime aides. First Lady Jill Biden and even Hunter Biden were involved in decisions that shaped the country, the book alleges.

“These weren’t just staffers,” said co-author Alex Thompson on PBS. “They were the gatekeepers and decision-makers. Most of the cabinet was cut out.”

Even top officials like Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen were reportedly ignored during major policy discussions. “They made huge economic decisions without calling her,” said one former cabinet secretary.

Biden “Not a Puppet” — But Close

While CNN anchor Jake Tapper insisted Biden wasn’t totally out of the loop — “It’s not Weekend at Bernie’s,” he said — the book paints a picture of a president heavily managed and shielded.

Tapper claims Biden was aware he was being isolated from his own cabinet. “They were keeping people away from him. He knew,” he said.

Obama-era veterans were reportedly stunned at how differently Biden operated. Unlike President Obama, who often solicited input from staff across the ranks, Biden reportedly only consulted his inner circle.

“Many of Biden’s own aides were also kept at arm’s length,” the authors wrote.

Who Were the Real Decision-Makers?

Mike Donilon
Donilon was Biden’s brain trust — and perhaps more. A media consultant and pollster dating back to the 1980s, Donilon stayed close to Biden through every phase of his political life.

He reportedly raked in $4 million during Biden’s 2024 campaign — a staggering number even in D.C.

“Donilon had so much influence,” the book says, “aides joked he could convince Biden to start a war.”

Steve Ricchetti
A Clinton-era insider turned Biden’s legislative bulldog, Ricchetti served as counselor to the president. He didn’t just push bills — he pushed back on dissent.

When George Clooney wrote an op-ed begging Biden to step aside, Ricchetti exploded. “Some staffers said he sounded like a mob boss,” Tapper and Thompson write.

Bruce Reed
Biden’s policy czar behind the curtain. His daughter even got a plum White House job as the president’s day scheduler.

Reed’s role? “He wasn’t the deputy chief of staff. He was the domestic policy director in practice,” the authors write.

Ron Klain
The longtime Biden loyalist helped prep the president for his disastrous 2024 debate — even after officially stepping down in early 2023.

Klain was Biden’s handler and strategist, the book claims. “Biden once told staff, ‘Only one person here is smarter than me — and it’s Ron,’” the book alleges.

Jill and Hunter Biden
The president’s wife and troubled son weren’t just bystanders — they were power players.

Jill Biden reportedly scolded aides for letting her husband ramble in public and helped control his image in what some insiders dubbed “Operation Bubble Wrap.”

Hunter Biden, meanwhile, was pushing hard to keep his father in the race. One aide said Hunter’s legal woes and personal chaos weighed so heavily on Biden that it “played a role in his mental and physical decline.”

Nepotism and Power Consolidation

It wasn’t just the inner circle benefiting. Family members of Politburo members were placed in high-profile government roles:

• Donilon’s niece landed on the National Security Council
• Ricchetti’s children were given roles throughout the administration
• Reed’s daughter scheduled the president’s day

Critics say this nepotism mirrored the cronyism of Washington’s worst swamp dwellers.

Obama Warned Us

Even former President Barack Obama reportedly had his doubts. “I don’t want him to be humiliated,” he said during the 2020 campaign.

He had reason to worry. The book portrays a presidency run by handlers, obsessed with shielding Biden’s weaknesses from the public and dismissing his age-related decline as mere political inconvenience.

“They saw Biden’s age as a vulnerability — not a limitation,” the authors argue.

The Verdict

Original Sin — released last week — is more than a political exposé. It’s a chilling window into a presidency built on image control, gatekeeping, and backroom power plays.

If true, the American people weren’t just voting for Joe Biden — they were unknowingly handing the reins to a cabal of insiders, family members, and loyalists operating in the shadows.

And many Republicans are asking: Who’s really been running this country?