Ex-Obama Aide Acknowledges Withholding Concerns About Biden’s Health to Support His Candidacy

Ex-Obama Aide Acknowledges Withholding Concerns About Biden’s Health to Support His Candidacy

Former Obama staffer and “Pod Save America” co-host Jon Lovett has publicly acknowledged that he refrained from raising concerns over President Joe Biden’s physical and cognitive decline during the 2024 election campaign. Speaking on Jon Stewart’s podcast, The Weekly Show, Lovett admitted he withheld criticism out of concern it could be exploited by political opponents.

“I remember wanting to talk about Biden’s age as a serious concern — something he could potentially overcome,” Lovett said. “But I wasn’t prepared to go as far as saying he should step aside. If Biden was going to be the nominee, I wanted him to win.”

Lovett emphasized his decision was based partly on incomplete information and largely on a strategic calculation to avoid contributing to right-wing narratives. “I didn’t want my words taken out of context and used against him,” he explained, noting the risk of internal criticism being used as ammunition by conservatives.

He is also cited in the newly released book Original Sin by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’s Alex Thompson, which examines Biden’s health and what the authors claim was a deliberate effort by his administration to conceal signs of decline. According to the book, Lovett and his fellow podcast hosts Jon Favreau and Dan Pfeiffer left a White House meeting with Biden in April 2024 “deeply disturbed,” describing the president as incoherent and rambling.