Former first lady Jill Biden spoke in an interview clip released Wednesday about former President Joe Biden’s infamous debate performance in 2024, saying she thought he was having a stroke on stage.
One of the most decisive moments of the 2024 election was Biden’s disastrous debate with then-candidate Donald Trump. Biden stammered, had long periods of silence and intense, confused facial expressions, to the point some of his most vocal supporters broke ranks and demanded he relinquish the nomination.
“Were you horrified as you saw it unfold?” Jill Biden was asked by a CBS host.
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“I wasn’t horrified, I was frightened,” Jill replied. “Because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since.”
The former first lady insisted again that even as Biden has gotten older, she has never seen him in a similar state.
“What happened?” the interviewer asked, wondering what was wrong with Joe Biden that one particular night.
“I don’t know what happened,” Jill replied. “I mean, when I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke,’ and it scared me to death.”
But the night of the debate, the former first lady appeared to be putting on a very different face for the camera. She had cheerfully greeted her husband on stage at the debate’s after-party in front of a live audience, giving praise with such a low bar that it itself became a news story.
“Joe, you did such a great job! You answered every question, you knew all the facts!” Jill Biden cheered to a smiling Joe Biden on-stage.
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“And let me ask the crowd. “What did Trump do?” the first lady continued, turning to the audience before shouting along with them, “Lie!”
Numerous commentators skewered this moment, saying that Jill had praised the then-President of the United States as if she were praising a small child.
Timothy H.J. Nerozzi contributed to this report.
