Washington DC - An upcoming book claims that former President Joe Biden failed to recognize his old friend George Clooney during an event last year while the politician was still running for a second term.

CNN anchor Jake Tapper and Axios reporter Alex Thompson recently shared an excerpt with The New Yorker from their unreleased book Original Sin, where they claimed at a campaign fundraiser in June 2024, Biden had no idea he was speaking to "one of the most recognizable men in the world" until an aide told him.

The incident reportedly left Clooney "shaken to his core," as he and Biden have known each other for years.

Other attendees at the event described Biden as acting "slow and almost catatonic," and some recalled witnessing "obvious brain freezes and clear signs of a mental slide."

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Later that evening, Biden joined Barack Obama and comedian Jimmy Kimmel on stage for an interview in front of the crowd. Afterward, as Obama and Kimmel exited the stage, Biden awkwardly wandered to the edge of the stage by himself, before Obama came back to escort him.

Later that month, Biden went on to give a disastrous performance during a debate with then-candidate Donald Trump. The incident sparked calls, including one from his old friend, for him to immediately drop out of the presidential race.

A few weeks after the debate, Clooney penned an op-ed arguing that Biden's age and cognitive health were of concern, and if he stayed in the race, he would lose to Trump.

Biden initially resisted calls from critics, vowing to stay in the race, but ultimately stepped down, passing the torch to his Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to lose to Trump in November.

Many critics have argued that Biden's delay in dropping out of the race and his campaign's insistence on trying to cover up his alleged mental decline led to Trump winning re-election.

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Nonetheless, Biden continues to insist his age is not catching up with him.

During an interview with The View last week, he blamed Harris' loss on sexism and said there was "nothing to sustain" arguments that he was suffering a cognitive decline.

Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again is scheduled to be released May 20.