Jill Biden has spoken publicly for the first time about the intense pressure her husband faced to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, recalling that Joe Biden told her: 'Jilly, I had no choice.' The former first lady made the comments at a book event for her new memoir, View from the East Wing, held at the 92nd Street Y in New York City and moderated by Whoopi Goldberg.
Reflecting on the fallout from Joe Biden's disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump, Jill Biden said she and her husband were 'devastated' by the response from fellow Democrats. 'To have people who we really considered close friends come out publicly and say really terrible things about Joe … it was really hurtful,' she said, adding that the public outcry ultimately led to his decision to drop out.
Jill Biden also revealed that during the debate she feared her husband might be having a stroke. 'That moment happened, and honest to God, it scared the hell out of me,' she said. 'I thought: “What in God’s name is happening?”' She did not specify which moment, but Biden famously mangled a line about beating Medicare, which his team later clarified was meant to be 'beat big pharma'.
When asked if she was still angry about how her husband was treated, Jill Biden said: 'No, I’m not angry. What’s the purpose of anger now? I think Joe’s cancer diagnosis really puts life into perspective.' Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer in May 2025.
The conversation also touched on the family's struggles with addiction. Jill Biden said of her stepson Hunter: 'It’s hard for me to say this, but Hunter was a drug addict. It was a really hard time for our family to go through. So many families in America deal with addiction. And I’m sorry that I didn’t talk about it a little bit more.' Hunter Biden later posted on social media that he was celebrating seven years of sobriety.
