There's been a serious change in the story about what President Joe Biden did and didn't have the ability to do during the last days of his term in office.

Chris Whipple, a longtime favored writer for Biden and those at the White House, seems to have now course corrected, after a arduious history of trying to explain Biden's health and capability, as The Guardian reported.

The account

In "The Fight of His Life," his 2023 book on the 46th president, Whipple wrote, "Biden was mentally sharp, even if he appeared physically frail." At the time, Biden was warming up his re-election bid at the age of 80.

Whipple cited Bruce Reed, a senior adviser, in that book, who recounted a long-distance flight. Reed stated that Biden was eager to proceed when others appeared fatigued. Biden exhibited "unbelievable stamina."

In January 2023, Whipple stated to the Guardian that Biden's "inner circle" was "bullish" about his mental acuity and his capacity to govern.

"I never heard any of them express any concern and maybe you would expect that from the inner circle. Many of them will tell you that he has extraordinary endurance, energy.”

The decline

Klain asserts that Biden should definitely have continued in the campaign, but wasn't sure about how he could have done it as he also provides a scathing account of the debate preparation at Camp David.

Klain characterizes Biden as "startled" during his initial encounter with him at the presidential lodge.

“He’d never seen him so exhausted and out of it. Biden was unaware of what was happening in his own campaign. Halfway through the session, the president excused himself and went off to sit by the pool.” He fell asleep.

“‘We sat around the table,’” says Klain in the book. “‘And I was struck by how out of touch with American politics he was. He was just very, very focused on his interactions with Nato leaders.’”

Klain, Whipple said, “wondered half-seriously if Biden thought he was president of NATO instead of the US."

The debate

Biden's performance during the debate against Trump was potentially the most disastrous public appearance for the former president of all time. He made verbal blunders and gaffes, shuffled, and stared into space blankly. It was said by more than one commentator that he handed Trump the victory.

Klain also accuses Biden of forgoing a post-debate meeting with progressives in favor of a family pictorial with Annie Leibovitz.

“‘You need to cancel that,’” Klain said he told Biden. “‘You need to stay in Washington. You need to have an aggressive plan to fight and to rally the troops.’” Biden allegedly pushed back, and instead held a Zoom call with progressives that went poorly for him.

“‘All you guys want to talk about is Gaza … What would you have me do?’” Biden said. “‘I was a progressive before some of you guys were even in Congress.’”