Jill Biden’s ‘Loyalty Police’ Aide Sparks White House Divide, New Book Reveals

In the swirling vortex of Washington politics, a new book, Original Sin, by CNN’s Jake Tapper and Axios’ Alex Thompson, paints First Lady Jill Biden as a powerhouse, her influence rivaling the most formidable first ladies in history. Her top aide, Anthony Bernal, emerges as a polarizing figure, wielding loyalty like a double-edged sword in the Biden White House.

Bernal, described as the head of the 'loyalty police,' reportedly interrogated aides with a blunt question: Are you a Biden person? This relentless gatekeeping, the book claims, created a culture where allegiance to the Biden family trumped all else—sometimes at the expense of fairness. One longtime aide was so repelled by Bernal’s tactics they declared he’d be barred from their funeral.

During the pandemic, Bernal and aide Annie Tomasini became fixtures in the Bidens’ inner circle, shifting the power dynamics within what the authors call Biden’s 'Politiburo.' Their access was unprecedented, with White House badges granting them entry to the residence—a rare privilege. The duo’s rise, the book argues, underscored a troubling truth: their loyalty was to the Bidens, not the nation.

Bernal’s influence extended to the smallest details, from critiquing Jill Biden’s outfits to planning her 2025 global travel schedule. Yet, his sharp tongue earned him few fans. Some staffers labeled him the 'worst person they’d ever met,' accusing him of trash-talking colleagues and ousting 'heretics' who dared stray from the Biden fold.

Even as concerns mounted about President Biden’s age and re-election prospects, Bernal dismissed Vice President Kamala Harris’ potential candidacy with a quip: You don’t run for four years—you run for eight. Jill Biden, a fierce advocate for her husband’s 2024 campaign, stood by Bernal, both denying any decline in the president’s capacity, even after his faltering debate performance in July 2024.

But not all agree with the book’s portrayal. A former White House staffer defended Bernal, calling him a strategic leader and mentor, suggesting the narrative may be skewed to fit a preconceived storyline. In a White House built on loyalty, Bernal’s role exposes the fine line between devotion and division.