In a press room moment that sent shockwaves through the political world, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a searing rebuke of former First Lady Jill Biden, accusing her of playing a central role in a “clear cover-up” of President Joe Biden’s cognitive and physical decline during his final year in office.
Speaking bluntly during Thursday’s White House press briefing, Leavitt didn’t mince words. “The former first lady should certainly speak up about what she saw, in regards to her husband and when she saw it, and what she knew,” she declared. “She was certainly complicit in that cover-up.”
The accusation isn’t without precedent. Recent scrutiny—driven by bombshell revelations from Original Sin, a new book by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson—has revived concerns about Biden’s mental fitness and how much the American public was shielded from behind-the-scenes struggles. But what made Leavitt’s remarks stand out was how directly she targeted Jill Biden, painting her not as a supportive spouse, but as a gatekeeper preventing transparency.
Leavitt referenced video evidence and media appearances where Jill Biden appeared to step in and shield her husband from uncomfortable moments or confusion, including a recent episode of The View. “There’s documentation and video evidence of her clearly shielding her husband away from the cameras,” Leavitt said, describing how the former first lady intervened when Biden began to stumble through his answers.
“She still thinks the American public are so stupid that they’re going to believe her lies,” Leavitt said, calling it “insulting.” And in that moment, the weight of the criticism went beyond partisan fire—it framed the former first lady’s role not as a passive observer but as an active participant in managing what Americans were allowed to see.
.@PressSec: “Anybody looking at the videos and photo evidence of Joe Biden… can see this was a clear cover-up, and Jill Biden was certainly complicit in that cover-up.” pic.twitter.com/zX3KpGhTXr
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 29, 2025
The much-discussed appearance by the Bidens on The View has fueled renewed skepticism. When cohost Alyssa Farah Griffin asked about the documented claims of cognitive decline, Biden’s response quickly became disjointed. “We had an insurrection when I started,” he said. “Well, I’ll pandemic… because of the incompetence of the last outfit…” The statement trailed off before Biden could clarify his point.
That’s when Jill Biden interjected, offering a polished defense that painted a very different image: Joe Biden as a relentless workhorse, burning the midnight oil with staff and briefings. But as she spoke, her husband sat largely silent, arms folded, appearing either distant or disengaged—an image that seemed to contradict her assurances in real-time.
Even the normally sympathetic hosts of The View were noticeably quiet, offering none of the usual banter or applause.
Original Sin details not only Biden’s alleged decline but the orchestrated effort to hide it—from the press, from cabinet members, and even from some White House staffers. Tapper himself has gone on record saying that “the bottom line is the White House was lying.”
Yet the American public, as Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld pointed out, didn’t need a book to see what was happening. “The press can’t claim a cover-up of something Americans saw daily on their TV every time Biden spoke,” he observed.
Still, Leavitt’s remarks place the spotlight not just on President Biden’s condition, but on who was managing the narrative. And for the first time, Jill Biden is being called to account.
