Profiting from a Fall: The Hypocrisy Behind Biden’s Health Coverage and Media Cash-In

It’s hard to stomach the media circus currently unfolding around President Joe Biden’s health and debate performance. The very people—reporters, commentators, political insiders—who once lined up to assure Americans that Biden was mentally sharp and fit to serve another term are now scrambling to write a different story. Not because of any newfound conviction—but because it sells.

Let’s be clear: they’re not just reporting a shift in public perception. They’re monetizing it.

The most frustrating part isn’t that Biden’s cognitive decline is now openly discussed. It’s that this conversation could have, and should have, happened long ago—when these journalists had access, knowledge, and a platform. Instead, they waited. And now that the man is struggling, possibly unwell, and exposed, they’re cashing in on books and appearances with the shameless angle: “We always knew.”

Take Jake Tapper as an example. A respected CNN anchor and political commentator, Tapper released The Enemy Withinin 2024, capitalizing on rising public disillusionment. While the book is framed as a broader examination of political dysfunction, it carefully hints at long-standing concerns about leadership—including Biden’s—without ever acknowledging the years of public silence from media insiders like himself. These kinds of post-hoc revelations do more than inform—they rewrite history with the author conveniently centered as the aware, insightful observer. It’s revisionism dressed up as courage.

But it’s not just Tapper. A wave of books and exposés is now hitting the market, each claiming exclusive insight into Biden’s decline. The irony? None of these insights surfaced before the turning point—before the debate that made denial no longer tenable. Suddenly, every political analyst “saw the signs.” Every insider “had doubts.” And every one of them is ready to sell you a hardcover account of just how much they knew.

If these individuals truly cared about the country or the democratic process, they would have spoken up when it mattered—not when it was convenient.

Journalism Is Not a Backdated Insurance Policy

Journalism, at its core, is supposed to challenge power, inform the public, and hold institutions accountable. What we’re witnessing now is the opposite: media figures who helped build the illusion now profiting from its collapse. It’s not transparency. It’s self-preservation through monetized hindsight.

If Biden was mentally or physically unfit, the American public deserved to know that during the primaries, not after a debate disaster. Shielding that truth, then profiting from its revelation, is not journalism—it’s a betrayal of trust.

And let’s not pretend this is new. We’ve seen this before: media outlets shaping a narrative, suppressing valid concerns, then quickly pivoting to profit off a scandal once it's safe to do so. What makes this moment especially shameful is the human cost. Biden isn’t a scandal. He’s an aging man likely experiencing real health issues—and the pile-on now feels less like reporting and more like a public stoning.

Why Now?

Because there’s money to be made. Book deals, podcast interviews, TV appearances, Substack subscriptions—it all spikes when you “expose” a powerful figure. But it’s not brave to expose someone when they’re already on the ground. It’s exploitation.

If the media had credible concerns about Biden’s cognitive state months ago, they owed it to the public to voice those then—not wait until the polling cratered and it was financially safe to pile on.

Instead, we’re left with a grotesque display: people who defended Biden’s fitness yesterday are now writing op-eds and books claiming they always knew he wasn’t up to the task. That’s not journalism. It’s opportunism.

Let the Market Respond. Time to Boycott the Hypocrisy

If there’s any power left to the everyday citizen, it’s in the choices we make as consumers. We don’t have to support these books. We don’t have to amplify their sales, or tune in to the interviews. We can send a message: making money off the downfall of a public figure—especially one experiencing health decline—is not just tasteless, it’s unacceptable and shameful.

Let’s boycott these authors, their publishers, and the media circuits promoting them. Let’s stop feeding a system that monetizes human frailty while pretending it’s all in the name of transparency.

Here’s what we can do: stop rewarding it.

Don’t buy these books. Don’t give clicks to their think-pieces. Don’t signal-boost their podcasts. If enough readers and viewers push back, we can send a message: it’s not acceptable to manipulate public opinion for profit, then turn around and sell the fallout like it’s breaking news.

You don’t get to fail at your job—and then sell your failure as a product.

This Is What I think

We’re watching a slow-motion unraveling, not just of a presidency, but of journalistic integrity. The media once shielded Biden, now it’s profiting from his fall. But for many of us, this isn’t just about politics—it’s about basic human decency. There’s a way to report the truth with empathy. This isn’t it.

Biden may or may not be fit to serve another term—that’s up for public and political determination. But those who now pretend to be brave truth-tellers, when they were once complicit, deserve scrutiny of their own.

Because the next time someone stumbles, they’ll be there again. Microphone in one hand, book deal in the other.