A former Obama aide confessed he stayed silent about Joe Biden’s health issues during the campaign to help him secure victory.
Jon Lovett, a former Obama aide and current co-host of the political podcast “Pod Save America,” has revealed a deliberate choice during the 2024 campaign.
He admitted he avoided speaking publicly about President Joe Biden’s health.
Lovett made the revelation during a conversation on Jon Stewart’s “The Weekly Show” podcast, where he appeared alongside fellow “Pod Save America” host Jon Favreau.
He admitted hesitating to discuss Biden’s decline, prioritizing securing a Democratic victory instead.
Former Obama aide says he hid Biden’s health to help him win 2024 presidential election
During the podcast, Lovett explained that while he did view Biden’s age and health as significant issues, he refrained from voicing those concerns too strongly.
He didn’t want to call for Biden to withdraw from the race. Lovett emphasized that he felt the president’s age posed a challenge.
However, he lacked detailed knowledge of Biden’s condition and wanted to support the nominee.
“I remember feeling I want to talk about this as a huge liability.
To talk about this is something Joe Biden can overcome, but I’m not going to go so far as to say, ‘I think Joe Biden must drop out. He is too old to be president,’” Lovett said on the podcast.
“A, because I didn’t know exactly what was going on behind the scenes, but B, if Joe Biden is the candidate, I want him to f—— win.”
Lovett said he withheld his thoughts because he feared Biden’s political rivals could misuse his comments.
He feared conservatives would twist left-wing criticism into anti-Biden narratives, undermining the Democratic campaign.
“There’s always a risk,” Lovett said, “that if someone from Biden’s own side speaks critically, those comments will be turned into ammunition for the opposition.”
Balancing honesty with political strategy
Lovett clarified that he tried to balance being honest about the president’s age-related liabilities with staying loyal to the Democratic cause.
He emphasized that despite Biden’s decline, it was crucial to frame concerns carefully and not fuel efforts damaging the campaign’s success.
“So it was about being honest about Joe Biden’s age as a liability while knowing that if he is the nominee, I want to be clear that I thought it was important to make sure we did everything we could to reelect him,” Lovett claimed.
Book release rekindles debate on Biden’s health
These revelations arise amid increased scrutiny after the book “Original Sin” by Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson.
The book delves into the behind-the-scenes discussions within the administration and among political allies about Biden’s health.
Lovett and his co-hosts appear in the book during a private White House meeting with Biden in April 2024.
The book describes Lovett, Favreau, and Dan Pfeiffer leaving the meeting disturbed by Biden’s incoherent remarks.
“Original Sin” claims there was a concerted effort by Biden’s team to downplay or hide the extent of his condition from the public.
The book reveals growing unease among Biden’s allies about his fitness for office.