Joe Biden's aides hatched secret plan to put him in a wheelchair

As Joe Biden aged in the White House and his condition deteriorated, those closest to him hatched plans to prop him up, even if it meant putting him in a wheelchair. 

The root cause of the concern: Biden's spine degeneration. 

Aides fretted over his worsening gait as the Democrat sought office again at 81-years-old, according to upcoming book 'Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again.'

The forthcoming book by CNN host Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson shares behind the scenes insights from those in the ex-president's inner-circle, including his doctor. 

'Biden's physical deterioration — most apparent in his halting walk — had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn't do so until after the election,' the authors penned. 

Internet critics and medical professionals weighed-in on Biden's shuffle towards the end of his presidency, mentioning how he didn't full lift his feet when walking and noting his increasing incidents of tripping, stumbling and even falling to the ground.

During a commencement address at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado on June 1, 2023, Biden tripped and fell down while on stage. A few members of his Secret Service detail rushed to help him back to his feet.

On June 18, 2022, Biden fell off his bike while on a ride in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. 

He would often trip while walking up stairs, like when he was still vice president in July 20, 2016 and tripped on stairs when coming up on stage for a speech at a town hall in Sydney, Australia. 

On several occasions in his presidential term, Biden fell or stumbled when walking the stairs of Air Force One. 

He even began taking the shorter route on the underbelly of the aircraft to avoid the long staircase usually utilized by the president when embarking the big plane. 

'Given Biden's age, [his physician Kevin O'Connor] also privately said that if he had another bad fall, a wheelchair might be necessary for what could be a difficult recovery,' an excerpt from the book states. 

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But Biden's team often told reporters during his 2024 reelection campaign that his halting gait was the result of him fracturing his foot in November 2020 and refusing to wear his walking boot. 

The conversations about wheelchair use reflect Biden's extreme health decline and spine issues, and the extent to which his White House team was willing to go to conceal it during a tough reelection.

Ex-White House Physician Kevin O'Connor, privately worried to colleagues about the former president taking another fall, warning it could prove a hard recovery at his advanced age, the book notes. 

Biden, now 82, was the oldest president in U.S. history when elected and when he left office. 

He was so infirm during his later years in office that his doctor feuded with staffers to get the president more rest. O'Connor went as far to say Biden's aides were trying to kill him but running him ragged. 

But Republicans were highly critical of Biden's actions. 

Donald Trump often employed the nickname 'Sleepy Joe' and his MAGA loyalists would say that he spent most of his days sleeping rather than conducting presidential duties.