Jill Biden said she feared former President Joe Biden may have been “having a stroke” during his widely criticized 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump.
In a new CBS News interview tied to the release of her memoir, “View from the East Wing,” the former first lady said she was frightened while watching Biden struggle on stage during the June 27, 2024, debate.
“I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since,” she said.
Jill Biden said she did not know what was happening in the moment and feared the worst.
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“As I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh, my God, he’s having a stroke,’” she said, adding that the moment scared her.
Biden’s debate performance became one of the defining moments of the 2024 presidential campaign.
During the event, he repeatedly appeared to freeze, stumbled through answers and seemed unable at times to clearly respond to Trump.
The performance triggered immediate panic inside the Democratic Party and revived long-running concerns about Biden’s age, health and ability to continue as the party’s nominee.
At the time, Jill Biden publicly defended her husband.
After the debate, she appeared with him at a stop in Atlanta and praised his performance, telling supporters that he had answered every question and knew the facts.
Her new comments have drawn fresh criticism from some former Democratic aides who argue the public deserved more honesty at the time.
Michael LaRosa, a former communications director for Jill Biden, said her candor now comes too late to reshape public perception.
He argued that she should have been more transparent in the days after the debate rather than waiting until the release of a memoir.
A source close to Jill Biden defended the interview, saying she was trying to tell her side of the story and address questions that have followed her since the campaign.
The Biden White House offered several explanations after the debate, initially saying the president had a cold before later pointing to travel fatigue and heavy debate preparation.
One former Biden administration official questioned why the White House pushed the cold explanation if Jill Biden believed in the moment that something more serious may have been happening.
Biden eventually dropped out of the presidential race on July 21, 2024, after weeks of pressure from Democratic lawmakers, donors and party leaders.
He endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris, who went on to become the Democratic nominee.
Jill Biden had been one of Biden’s strongest public defenders during his presidency and reelection campaign, repeatedly insisting that he was capable of continuing the job.
Her new admission is likely to renew debate over how much the White House, Biden’s family and senior advisers knew about his condition during the final stretch of his campaign.
It also adds another chapter to the political fallout from a debate that ultimately helped end Biden’s reelection bid.
Why It Matters
Jill Biden’s comments reopen questions about transparency around Joe Biden’s health during the 2024 campaign. Her admission that she feared something serious was happening on debate night contrasts sharply with the public defense she offered at the time.
What Comes Next
Jill Biden’s memoir and media appearances are likely to revive scrutiny of the final weeks of Biden’s campaign, including how the White House explained his debate performance and why he remained in the race for nearly a month afterward.
Jill Biden said she feared Joe Biden may have been having a stroke during his widely criticized 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump.
