Jill Biden has revealed that she feared her husband, Joe Biden, was having a stroke during his disastrous debate performance against Donald Trump in June 2024. In an interview with CBS set to air on Sunday, the former first lady said she was 'frightened' by what she saw.
'I was frightened, because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never,' she said in a clip released ahead of the broadcast. 'As I watched it, I thought: 'Oh, my God, he's having a stroke.' And it scared me to death.'
Biden's faltering performance, in which he stumbled over words, took long pauses and appeared confused, sparked widespread alarm among Democrats. The 81-year-old president eventually withdrew from the race under immense pressure, endorsing Vice-President Kamala Harris with just 107 days to go before the election.
During the 90-minute debate, Biden made a series of gaffes, including declaring 'We finally beat Medicare' instead of 'beat big pharma'. Trump responded to one rambling answer by saying: 'I really don't know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don't think he knows what he said either.'
Jill Biden, who has been a stalwart supporter of her husband, previously praised his debate performance at a rally, saying he 'answered every question' and 'knew all the facts'. She is set to release a memoir, View from the East Wing, next week, in which she is expected to detail the fraught campaign and Biden's historic decision to step aside.
