Book Claims Biden Allies Secretly Prepared for His Death

Person walking on tarmac wearing a black mask.

A shocking new book reveals Biden aides prepared a “death pool roster” and used fluorescent tape to guide the former president during his faltering final months in office.

Key Insights

Harris aides secretly assembled a list of judges who could swear her in if Biden died in office, complete with a ready-made communications strategy
White House staff used fluorescent tape strips on floors to guide Biden on where to walk during official events
A resident makeup artist was kept on hand to enhance Biden’s appearance, with sessions sometimes resulting in cancelled briefings
Democratic officials held secret “hush-hush” planning meetings as early as 2023 to prepare for Biden’s possible withdrawal
Obama and Pelosi reportedly influenced Biden’s decision to step down after his disastrous debate performance

Secret Preparations for Presidential Mortality

A bombshell new book titled “Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House” by Jonathan Allen of NBC News and Amie Parnes of The Hill has revealed disturbing details about how Biden’s inner circle managed his declining health. According to the authors, Vice President Kamala Harris’s team took extraordinary measures to prepare for the possibility of Biden’s death while in office, including the creation of a meticulously prepared “death-pool roster” of judges who could swear Harris in should the president die suddenly.

Jamal Simmons, Harris’s former communications director, reportedly developed a complete communications strategy for this contingency before leaving his position in January 2023. The book states, “Simmons ‘never told the vice president about the death-pool roster before leaving her camp in January 2023 but he advised colleagues that he should be notified immediately if something happened to Biden, because he had worked out an entire communications strategy.’ And he left the spreadsheet with another Harris aide.”

Visual Aids and Concealment Efforts

The book details increasingly desperate measures taken by White House staff to manage Biden’s public appearances. In one particularly alarming incident following Biden’s catastrophic debate performance, aides placed fluorescent tape strips on carpets during a reception hosted by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. The book describes these markers as “colorful bread crumbs” that “showed the leader of the free world where to walk.” Even more concerning, an autocue was reportedly installed for what should have been casual, unscripted remarks.

“At a reception hosted by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy a few days after the debacle, Biden reportedly required florescent tape on the carpet ― ‘colorful bread crumbs showed the leader of the free world where to walk.'”

Additionally, a resident makeup artist was allegedly kept on constant standby to enhance Biden’s appearance and mask signs of his deteriorating condition. In some instances, Biden would cancel all scheduled briefings after these makeup sessions, raising further questions about his capacity to fulfill presidential duties. In another troubling episode, Biden reportedly failed to recognize Representative Eric Swalwell during a meeting, further demonstrating his cognitive difficulties.

"Fight: Inside the Wildest Battle for the White House" spilled tea on the ex-president's crumbling run for reelection. https://t.co/zTJVxylVo5

— HuffPost (@HuffPost) March 29, 2025

Democratic Party’s Contingency Planning

The revelations don’t stop with the White House staff’s efforts to manage Biden’s public image. The book claims that Democratic National Committee officials began holding secret talks as early as 2023 to prepare for the possibility that Biden might withdraw from the presidential race. One official involved in these discussions told the authors, “It shows what we had to do to prepare with the unique circumstances we had, which was an 80-plus-year-old president who was running.”

“Democratic officials staged ‘hush-hush talks’ to plan for Joe Biden’s withdrawal as the party’s presidential nominee as early as 2023, says a new book.”

These preparations included analyzing party rules and developing various scenarios for Biden’s potential withdrawal from the race. Despite these concerns, Biden’s family and close aides reportedly encouraged him to continue his reelection bid, leading to a chaotic and ultimately unsuccessful campaign. The book details the fateful debate performance that led to increased pressure for Biden to step down, describing it as “catastrophic” and a turning point in the campaign.

Obama and Pelosi’s Influence

According to the book, former President Barack Obama played a significant role in Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race. During a conversation with Biden, Obama reportedly asked pointedly, “What is your path?” This question, along with pressure from former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is said to have influenced Biden’s eventual decision to step aside. The authors suggest that Biden’s subsequent endorsement of Kamala Harris may have been partially motivated by a desire to spite these party leaders who had pressured him to withdraw.

The book portrays the high drama and internal tensions within the Democratic Party during this period, with many Democrats reluctantly supporting Harris as the only viable alternative after Biden’s withdrawal. This internal party division and the handling of Biden’s condition ultimately contributed to the Democrats’ loss to President Donald Trump in the 2024 election. The revelations raise serious questions about transparency and the ethical responsibilities of those who were aware of Biden’s condition while he served as president.