Jill Biden is opening up about her husband, former U.S. President Joe Biden's performance during his one and only debate with President Donald Trump. The former first lady admitted she thought he was having a stroke as he stumbled over his words and lost his train of thought several times during the debate disaster on June 27, 2024, in Atlanta.
Jill Biden's Frightening Realization
In an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning's Rita Braver, Jill, 74, said, 'I wasn't horrified, I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never.' She continued, 'I don't know what happened. As I watched it, I thought, Oh, my God, he's having a stroke. And it scared me to death.'
Biden's campaign later said he had been dealing with a cold that night, with Joe following that up by telling ABC News' George Stephanopoulos that he 'was feeling terrible' while on stage.
Behind the Scenes in New Memoir
Jill's upcoming memoir, 'View From the East Wing,' will take readers 'behind the scenes' of her life at the White House, including 'witnessing the abrupt end of her husband's bid for reelection.' She previously defended her husband's performance in Atlanta, telling Joe on stage that he had done 'such a great job' while supporters cheered them on. She added, 'You answered every question. You knew all the facts.'
Nevertheless, his performance raised significant concerns among Democrats and solidified what Republicans had long been saying — that Biden's mental acuity and age were not at a level that would be beneficial for Americans over another four years. Despite Biden and his most loyal staffers insisting he was still sharp as a tack, the damage from the debate was done, and Joe ultimately dropped out of the race and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.
Joe Biden's Response
Joe addressed his debate performance at a campaign rally in North Carolina. 'I know I'm not a young man,' he told the crowd in Raleigh. 'I don't walk as easy as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to, but I know what I do know: I know how to tell the truth!' He added at the time that he would not be running for a second term if he did not believe 'with all my heart and soul I can do this.'
Jill herself appeared to be less enthusiastic in the days after the debate, telling Vogue that her family 'will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he's been president. We will continue to fight.'
Kamala Harris Reflects
Meanwhile, Harris reflected on that fateful day last October when she appeared on Steven Bartlett's Diary of a CEO podcast. 'He called me from debate camp … and I could tell something was a little off,' Harris recalled. 'And I was concerned about — I just, I don't think he wanted to debate, is my point.' She continued, 'You gotta want it, right? If you don't wanna be in the competition, it will absolutely have an impact on your performance. I'm pretty sure he did not want to debate.' Harris added that 'there is no such thing as a perfect debate,' and it's inevitable for errors to arise for candidates. That said, she said 'expected' that there would be 'something to clean up' in the aftermath. 'And then, you know, we saw what we all saw.'
