(NewsNation) — A new book documenting the presidency of Joe Biden is stirring up chatter in Washington, D.C., ahead of its release and putting White House staff on alert as to what may be inside.
NewsNation obtained a copy of the 432-page book before its launch Tuesday. “The Last President” is written by Franklin Foer, a staff writer for The Atlantic.
Inside, the book details everything from the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan to Biden expressing he sometimes feels tired as criticism around his age grows as he runs for a second term.
It gives an inside look into big moments for Biden, like his speech in Warsaw, Poland, when he said Russian President Vladimir Putin cannot remain in power.
It details the moments after the ad-libbed remark, where instead of focusing on his historic speech, the headlines were about White House staff walking back Biden’s off-the-cuff comments.
An excerpt obtained by NewsNation reads: “Suddenly, the press wasn’t marveling at his rhetoric or his diplomatic triumphs; it was back to describing him as a blowhard lacking in self-control. Rather than owning his failure, he fumed to his friends about how he was treated like a toddler. Was John Kennedy ever babied like that?”
The book shows Biden standing by his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan in the summer of 2021. He witnessed it all from his seat in the situation room and believed exiting the war was the best and only course.
The book says Biden was aware of critical coverage, and it “infuriated him.”
The White House is pushing back on the book. When a reporter asked if there were fewer early morning events because Biden felt tired, as the book claims, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called it a ridiculous assumption.
The White House also told NewsNation the excerpts are “cherry-picked,” pointing out that allies view Biden as “the West’s father figure and a calming presence.”
The book also noted how Biden “committed himself to expunge the words ‘Donald Trump’ from his vocabulary.” Biden joked he would only speak of “the former guy.”
The book drops as the president is actively campaigning for another shot at the White House, while new polls show more concern about Biden’s age among Democratic voters.
NewsNation political editor Chris Stirewalt says when read in its entirety, the book will likely paint a “flattering” picture of Biden.
“If (being tired) is as bad as it gets, then they’re going to be pretty relieved,” Stirewalt said. “But certainly … the No. 1 thing driving Biden’s disapproval is his age. … Anything that hints that he is not up to scratch and he’s not able to do that, that’s going to be harmful for the narrative that the White House is trying to fight.”
