Jill Biden's Account of June 2024 Debate Alarmed Her

Former First Lady Jill Biden has stated in her upcoming memoir, View from the East Wing, and in a subsequent interview with CBS News, that she was alarmed by President Joe Biden's performance during a June 27, 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump.

Jill Biden's Account of the Debate

According to Jill Biden, she was "frightened" by President Biden's performance and initially feared he might be having a stroke. She stated she had never seen her husband in that state before or since.

"I was frightened. I had never seen him like that before or since."

Jill Biden recounted that after the debate, doctors examined the President and reported he was fine. This account differs from the earlier administration statement that the examination occurred "days" later. She has expressed uncertainty about what caused the episode.

President Biden's Debate Performance

During the 90-minute debate, President Biden, 81, exhibited a raspy voice, stumbled over words, and gave rambling responses. One notable verbal error occurred when he said "We finally beat Medicare" instead of "beat big pharma."

The White House later attributed his performance to a cold and sore throat. Jill Biden previously praised her husband's debate performance at a rally shortly after the event.

Political Aftermath

The debate led to widespread calls from Democrats for President Biden to exit the race. He subsequently withdrew his re-election bid on July 21, 2024, becoming the first sitting president to do so since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1968. He endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, who became the Democratic nominee and lost the election to Trump.

Additional Statements from Jill Biden

• Jill Biden has pushed back against reports from former staffers suggesting such episodes were not isolated.
• She confirmed that President Biden initially planned to serve only one term but decided to run again after the 2022 midterms.
• When asked about regrets related to the campaign, she cited the personal hurt her family experienced.

Other Events

In a separate event, a charity auction for a cameo role in season two of the television series "Heated Rivalry" saw Jill Biden submit a bid of $49,000 Australian dollars. The winning bid was $175,000 Australian dollars.