Biden aides reportedly considered putting him in wheelchair due to 'physical deterioration' — but had one condition



President Joe Biden's physical decline was reportedly so rapid that his team discussed putting him a wheelchair if he was re-elected, especially if he suffered another fall.

According to a new book from CNN's Jake Tapper and Axios' Alex Thompson, Biden aides discussed the president's serious physical decline, with others in his inner circle reportedly concerned about the degeneration of his spine.

The 46th president's "halting walk" was of particular concern to his staff, as was the potential of Biden suffering a devastating fall. The fears reportedly came after Biden tripped over a sandbag at the Air Force Academy in June 2023, which resulted in increased precautions over his walking paths and stage layouts.

According to Axios, Biden's team tried to implement shorter walking routes for the president, increasingly had him wear sneakers, and insisted on the installation of handrails up to the stage for his appearances. These changes were coupled with visual briefings to ensure that the president knew his particular path for each event. The situation was reportedly so dire that the briefings were described as an effort to ensure that Biden knew every step he was expected to take.

Biden's doctor, Kevin O'Connor, allegedly even had concerns that another fall could necessitate a wheelchair for the president.

CNN Presidential Debate at the CNN Studios on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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Staff and O'Connor's concerns over Biden's "severe" levels of "physical deterioration" inspired internal discussions about the use of a wheelchair, but staff reportedly did not want to put the president's health first and were willing to wait "until after the election."

The president's team reportedly said it was politically untenable to have him use a wheelchair during the re-election campaign.

The president's physician expressed even more concerns, believing that if Biden suffered another fall, it would be a "difficult recovery."

The doctor was so worried that he reportedly joked at times that he was the only one trying to keep the president alive, whereas Biden's staff was trying to kill him. O'Connor allegedly wanted Biden to have more rest than presidential aides were allowing, and his diagnoses were even at odds with what Biden staffers were saying about his health.

For example, White House aides said the president's poor gait was a result of a foot fracture, but O'Connor had said that "both small fractures of his foot are completely healed" and that "this injury has healed as expected."

As well, O'Connor said publicly that Biden's posture problems were from "significant spinal arthritis."

An anonymous Biden spokesperson told Axios that his "medical exam made clear that he had a stiffened gait caused, in part, by wear and tear to his spine — but that no special treatment was necessary and that it had not worsened."

"He was transparent about this, and it was far from 'severe,'" the statement continued. "Yes, there were physical changes as he got older, but evidence of aging is not evidence of mental incapacity."

The spokesperson concluded, "We are still waiting for someone, anyone, to point out where Joe Biden had to make a presidential decision or make a presidential address where he was unable to do his job because of mental decline."

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'Those who claimed nothing was wrong are politically and perhaps literally blind.'

Corporate and liberal media are "wholly guilty" of "failing to show courage to report out what was happening before our very eyes," said Curtis Houck, managing editor of MRC NewsBusters.

Houck told Blaze News, "Those who claimed nothing was wrong are politically and perhaps literally blind, and those who knew but bowed to political pressures are guilty of the highest order of cowardice."'

CNN's Tapper, who wrote the book — "Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again" — has been criticized for on-air confrontations in which he accused others of lacking a medical background when pointing out the president's deterioration.

In October 2020, Tapper accused Lara Trump of mocking Biden's "stutter" when she attempted to refer to a "cognitive decline."

Houck added that without a media "cover-up," Vice President Kamala Harris likely would not have been the Democratic nominee in 2024.

"The criticism will be of Tapper and Thompson and their sources withholding key anecdotes that would have further accelerated Biden’s exit and allowed for a longer runway for whoever the Democratic nominee would have been, because it certainly wouldn't have been Kamala Harris."

Blaze News reached out to the Office of Joe and Jill Biden regarding claims made in the upcoming book. This article will be updated with any applicable responses.

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Jasmine Crockett mocks paralyzed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott as 'Governor Hot Wheels' during Human Rights Campaign speech



Outspoken far-left U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-Texas) mocked paralyzed Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) as "Governor Hot Wheels" during a speech at a Human Rights Campaign event in Los Angeles over the weekend.

Crockett was telling her audience about being "out front fightin'" for her constituents when she noted that "we in these hot-ass Texas streets, honey," which drew laughter from the crowd.

'I don’t use this word often, but Jasmine Crockett truly is wicked.'

Crockett then looked up from her notes with a smile and remarked, "Y'all know we got Governor Hot Wheels down there, come on now!" while pounding the lectern with her palm.

"And the only thing hot about him is that he is a hot-ass mess, honey!" she added.

Both remarks were met with hoots, hollers, laughter, and applause. You can view the clip here.

You also can view Crockett's full speech here. Her remarks about Abbott begin just after the 4:30 mark and conclude around the 4:50 mark. The Human Rights Campaign posted Crockett's speech on YouTube on Monday.

Abbott, 67, has been paralyzed from the waist down since he was 26, after a tree fell on his back when he was jogging. The Republican has been wheelchair-bound as a result.

Crockett as of early Tuesday afternoon did not bring up her remarks about Abbott on either of her X accounts.

However, Crockett did repost a Thursday dig at Abbott from "comedian and model" Stacy Cay — who notes in her X bio that she doesn't like Republicans. Cay focused on a photo of Abbott in his wheelchair, with the governor noting that he was visiting the White House to talk to President Donald Trump about returning "education back to the states — where it belongs."

Cay mocked, "Rolling up to the White House to cheer on the president destroying the agency that makes sure kids in wheelchairs have equal access to education is wild."

Abbott as of early Tuesday afternoon did not address Crockett's remarks about him in her Human Rights Campaign speech.

Others did, however.

  • Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) called Crockett's remarks "shameful" and added that "if this is who Democrats are turning to for leadership, they’ve got a tough road ahead."
  • Activist Scott Presler said of Crockett's remarks, "I don’t use this word often, but Jasmine Crockett truly is wicked. To call Greg Abbott 'Governor Hot Wheels' is cruel, contemptible & speaks to your lack of character. ... If Jasmine Crockett represents the Democrat party, I want nothing to do with Democrats. Despicable."
  • TPUSA's Charlie Kirk called Crockett "trash" and said she "continues to embarrass herself, the state of Texas, and the US Congress by referring to Governor Greg Abbott as 'Governor Hot Wheels.'"
  • CNN pundit Scott Jennings pointed out Crockett's "insult" while dubbing her the "unquestioned leader of the Democratic Party."

Crockett of late has been particularly critical of Republicans and the Trump administration. Last week she urged an anti-Tesla activist group to have Elon Musk "taken down" on her birthday. After Trump's address to a joint session of Congress earlier this month, Crockett said, "What is happening? Like, this is not America! This is a terrible nightmare! Somebody slap me and wake me the f**k up, 'cuz I'm ready to get on with it!"

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Catholic priest from order that serves the homeless gets carjacked at gunpoint while he's unloading wheelchair from vehicle in Philly



A Catholic priest from an order that provides services for the homeless was carjacked at gunpoint in Philadelphia over the weekend — while he was unloading a wheelchair from the vehicle's trunk.

What are the details?

Police said the deed took place in the 2100 block of East Somerset Street in the city's Kensington neighborhood around 8:45 p.m., KYW-TV reported.

Four men approached the priest while he was unloading the wheelchair from his blue 2013 Hyundai Sonata, authorities told the station — and one of them pulled out a gun.

Police said a man pulled an individual out of the vehicle who had been in the passenger seat, KYW added.

The other three men entered the vehicle and fled southbound on Frankford Avenue toward Lehigh Avenue, the station said.

The priest and the passenger were not injured, authorities told KYW. It isn't clear whether the passenger who was pulled from the vehicle required the wheelchair.

The priest is with the Arrupe Jesuit Community, which provides services to the homeless, the station said, adding that the community also owns the vehicle. There is an Arrupe Jesuit Community on North 18th Street in Philadelphia.

The USA East Province of the Society of Jesus confirmed to WTXF-TV that one of its priests serving in Philadelphia was carjacked Sunday night but added that additional details are being withheld to keep the priest safe.

Break in the case?

Police added to WTXF that arrests were made in connection with the carjacking Monday night in Camden, New Jersey, but the station said no further details were provided.

Anything else?

WTXF said there have been more than 1,000 carjackings in Philadelphia so far this year, which is a new record.

TheBlaze has reported extensively on the city's carjacking epidemic:

Thug walks up to 82-year-old man who apparently uses wheelchair, stabs him from behind in reportedly unprovoked attack inside Los Angeles Taco Bell



Surveillance video caught the moment an 82-year-old man was stabbed from behind while eating in a Los Angeles Taco Bell, KTTV-TV reported.

Fox News called it an unprovoked attack.

What are the details?

Los Angeles police said the suspect on Oct. 3 approached the elderly man from behind as he was dining inside the fast-food restaurant in the 12000 block of Venice Boulevard, KTTV reported. Surveillance video showed an empty wheelchair next to the victim, who was seated in a restaurant chair at the time of the attack.

The suspect then stabbed the victim in the neck and shoulder and ran from the scene, KTTV said, citing police, who responded around 7 p.m.

The victim was rushed to a hospital, KTTV said, and remains as of Thursday on the road to recovery. Fox News said he was in critical condition.

What do we know about the suspect?

The suspect is described as a bald man, likely in his 20s or 30s, who stands between 5 feet, 1-inch and 5 feet, 6 inches tall and weighs about 130 pounds, KTTV said.

The suspect also has a large tattoo on the back of his head and a small tattoo next to his left eye, LAPD added to the station.

Anyone with information can call 310-482-6369, KTTV said.

How are folks reacting?

Commenters on Yahoo! News were horrified and angry about the stabbing:

  • "Can't get much lower than that," one commenter said.
  • "Defund the police they said. No cash bail the said. Empty the jails they said. Any theft under $1,000 is acceptable they said. Now we are dealing with all these upstanding citizens. Congratulations, you've gone and done it, and innocent people are paying the price," one commenter reacted. "Fire every single politician that supports such madness."
  • "And when we catch him we will let him go!" another commenter predicted.
  • "I have come to believe that all these actions by the various and sundry state and local governments that have led to this enormous escalation in violent crime is being perpetrated for that very reason: to increase instances of violent crime against the citizenry and make them scared," another commenter wrote. "Scared people are easier to lead and control, and when things get so bad as they are becoming, it will be much easier to get the people to accept any solution that's proposed — and those solutions will not be anything that anybody today would be willing to accept."

Creep steals hundreds of dollars from 64-year-old man in wheelchair — as other bus passengers simply watch it happen



A crook was caught on surveillance video stealing hundreds of dollars in cash from a victim sitting in a wheelchair aboard a New York City bus earlier this month, police told the New York Post.

Video shows at least four other passengers seated aboard the bus at the time of the robbery, and none of them did a thing in response.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @NYPDnews

What are the details?

New York City police released video Sunday showing the crook standing directly behind the victim — a 64-year-old man — around 9 p.m. Aug. 13 on a Staten Island bus, police told the Post.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @NYPDnews

Soon the crook reaches down toward the victim — who's sitting in a wheelchair — and goes into the victim's shirt pocket as the S40 MTA bus stops at Clinton Avenue and Richmond Terrace, police told the paper.

As the suspect pulls out his hand, much of the cash falls to the bus floor as the suspect and victim struggle for it. But the suspect manages to hold on to some of the cash and appears to grab additional bills from the floor before fleeing the bus.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @NYPDnews, composite

The Post said the suspect got away with $250.

The paper said the victim rose from his wheelchair briefly as if to fight back but then sat back down. The victim wasn't injured, the Post said, adding that the crook took off in an unknown direction.

\u201c\ud83d\udea8WANTED for ROBBERY: Do you know this guy? On 8/13/22 at approx. 9:10 PM, on a S40 Bus near Clinton Ave and Richmond Terrace on Staten Island, the suspect approached a 64-year-old male in a wheelchair and forcibly removed cash. Any info? DM @NYPDTips, or call 800-577-TIPS.\u201d
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPD NEWS) 1661695200

The suspect was wearing a mask in the surveillance video showing the robbery, but police also released surveillance video of the suspect without a mask inside a store at 1 Richmond Terrace, the paper said, adding that his face is clearly visible.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @NYPDnews

The suspect is described as a man in his 20s, standing at 5’7″ and weighing 160 pounds, police told the Post. He was last seen wearing a black “TLC” shirt, black Nike basketball shorts, white socks, and black sandals, the paper added.

Anyone with information about the incident can call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782), the Post reported. The public also can submit tips at the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org and on Twitter @NYPDTips, the paper added.

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14-year-old girl charged in stabbing death of wheelchair-bound sister as their parents slept



A 14-year-old Pennsylvania girl has been charged with killing her 19-year-old wheelchair-bound sister in their family home, allegedly stabbing her older sibling as their parents slept and calling 911 herself to confess the crime.

What are the details?

The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said in a press release that 14-year-old Claire Miller has been charged with homicide, is being held in prison without eligibility for bail, and will be tried as an adult in the killing of her older sister, Helen Miller. They noted that "homicide is not considered a delinquent act in Pennsylvania."

WHTM-TV reported that according to court documents, Claire called 911 at around 1:00 a.m. on Monday in hysterics, telling authorities "she killed her sister." According to The Daily Mail, when officers arrived they found Claire outside the residence "covered in blood and trying to wash her hands in the snow." She reportedly said repeatedly, "I stabbed my sister."

When police went inside the family home they found Helen in her room, lying on her back with a blood-stained pillow over her face and a knife still lodged in her neck. Emergency responders were unable to revive her.

Manheim Township Police Chief Tom Rudzinski told WHTM that the murder occurred while the girls' parents were asleep in the same home. No motive has yet been determined.

"When I heard about this I was almost instantly upset about it myself over the details that had been related to me," Rudzinski said. He added, "I don't know that I have ever been a part of something that is quite as sad as this."

WPMT-TV reported that Claire is in the ninth grade at Lancaster Country Day School. Steve Lisk, head of the school, issued a statement saying, "We are surprised by the news of this incident and we're grieving ourselves even as we look to support the family and ensure support for all our students and families within our tight-knit school community."

Sarah Delia, a neighbor of the family, told the outlet in reaction to the tragedy, "It's not the kind of thing we would expect in our neighborhood. It's very quiet and peaceful."

GOP congressional candidate lifts himself up from his wheelchair to stand 'for our Republic' in RNC speech



North Carolina Republican congressional candidate Madison Cawthorn delivered a speech with a powerful ending to the Republican National Convention on Wednesday, raising himself up from his wheelchair to stand "for our Republic."

What are the details?

"This is a time of great adversity for our country, and I know something about adversity," Cawthorn began, explaining that a car accident when he was 18 years old left him paralyzed from the waist down.

The 25-year-old went on to detail his first experience going out in public in a wheelchair to a professional baseball game, recalling that he "felt invisible" from his new perspective after previously standing at 6' 3".

He revealed that at the age of 20, he "thought about giving up," but he persevered knowing that he could still make an impact.

"My accident has given me new eyes to see and new ears to hear," Cawthorn said. "So, I say to people who feel forgotten, ignored and invisible: I see you. I hear you."

The Hill noted that:

Cawthorn, if elected in North Carolina's largely Republican 11th district, will be the youngest-ever member of Congress, something he noted in his remarks, saying 'if you don't think young people can change the world than you just don't know American history.'
He pointed to the accomplishments of figures like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and James Madison in their twenties, adding 'In times of peril young people have stepped up and saved this country abroad and at home. We held the line, scaled the cliffs, crossed oceans, liberated camps and cracked codes.'

As he started to wrap up his speech, Cawthorn told viewers, "You can kneel before God, but stand for our flag."

Two other men walked up to Cawthorn from either side of him at that point, as the candidate continued, "The American idea my ancestors fought for during The Revolutionary War is just as exciting and revolutionary today as it was 250 years ago. I say to Americans who love our country—young and old—be a radical for freedom. Be a radical for liberty."

Cawthorn grabbed the bars of a walker stabilized by the men assisting him as he said, "Be a radical for our republic. For which I stand."

North Carolina Congressional candidate Madison Cawthorn, who has used a wheelchair since an accident at 18, stands… https://t.co/2dJrV0Nwn4
— MSNBC (@MSNBC)1598494053.0