By Talk about saying the obvious. During a May 23 broadcast of Washington Week with The Atlantic, journalist Alex Thompson described the Biden White House as being governed not by the president himself, but by a shadowy, centralized group of longtime aides—what insiders reportedly called a “Politburo.” The term, lifted from the authoritarian playbook of communist regimes, suggests that the commander-in-chief did not make critical decisions during Joe Biden’s presidency, but by a tightly controlled committee of gatekeepers who operated with minimal transparency or public accountability.
Thompson, co-author of the forthcoming book Original Sin alongside CNN’s Jake Tapper, pointed to senior advisors Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti, and Bruce Reed as core members of this inner circle, with communications advisor Anita Dunn exerting significant influence from just outside the perimeter. According to Thompson, this unelected cadre functioned as the de facto decision-making authority in the West Wing—shielding Biden, managing optics, and maintaining the illusion of presidential command well past its expiration date, explained The New York Post.
This group, dubbed the “politburo,” included a coterie of seasoned political veterans, including Mike Donilon, Steve Ricchetti and Bruce Reed — but also family members such as first lady Jill Biden and the president’s son Hunter, the authors of “Original Sin” claim.
“In terms of who was running the White House, it’s a small group of people that have been around,” “Original Sin” author Alex Thompson told PBS’ “Washington Week” on Friday. “Some people within the administration called them the Politburo. That’s the term we used in the book.”
“And Joe Biden himself also is part of this. Joe Biden is not like — it’s not ‘Weekend at Bernie’s,’ right?” said co-author and CNN anchor Jake Tapper, referring to the movie about a dead guy who is wheeled around as part of an elaborate ruse.
“He has some purchase here. He has some agency. And he’s aware of some of what’s going on.”
Tapper added: “He’s aware of the fact that they are keeping the cabinet away from him, they are keeping some White House staffers away from him.”
The report is already fueling outrage from critics who say the American people were misled about who was really running the country. “Politburo” is not a term used lightly—it conjures images of undemocratic governance, groupthink, and institutional decay. That it was used internally by White House staffers only heightens the alarm. Thompson added that even as late as 2024, Cabinet members feared the president was no longer capable of managing a crisis—particularly one that might erupt in the early morning hours, when Biden was known to be at his most diminished.
The broadcast coincided with a broader postmortem on Biden’s presidency. Four months out of office, the prevailing narrative is hardening: that Biden’s inner circle concealed his cognitive decline, pushed him into a second campaign he wasn’t fit to run, and, in doing so, helped pave the way for Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Original Sin frames this as both a moral failure and a political catastrophe—one in which loyalty to Biden took precedence over loyalty to the country.
The backlash online has been swift and unforgiving. “There needs to be congressional hearings,” wrote one user on X. “We have a right to know who assumed the role of president.” Others demanded subpoenas, oaths, and a full public reckoning. “This is elder abuse and constitutional fraud,” another user posted, slamming the press for only now confirming what voters had long suspected.
Then there needs to be congressional hearings, he needs to be subpoenaed and put under oath along with every person he interviewed. We have a right to know who assumed the role of president and they need to be held accountable
— ElizaRenae (@eliza_renae) May 25, 2025
Sounds like it’s time to name names as to who specifically surprised the constitutional order. https://t.co/ie6y1V2BVB
— Sunny (@sunnyright) May 25, 2025
Even Tapper conceded the media’s role in the deception. Despite polling for years showing public concern about Biden’s age and acuity, major outlets largely accepted the White House’s narrative. Thompson admitted he became skeptical only after repeated denials began to unravel—but by then, the election was over, and the damage done.
For a president elected on the promise of restoring norms, the revelation that Joe Biden’s White House functioned more like a guarded committee than an open administration cuts deep. Whether Congress acts or the story fades into history books will depend on whether anyone in Washington still believes in telling the truth—even when it’s politically inconvenient to Democrats.
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