Former first lady Jill Biden said she was “frightened” that her husband was experiencing a stroke during his performance in the 2024 presidential debate against President Donald Trump.In an interview with CBS News, Jill Biden recalled her reaction to seeing former President Joe Biden stumble over his words, appearing frail and unstable. “I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since,” Jill Biden said. “I don’t know what happened. As I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke.’ And it scared me to death.”
The former first lady’s comments contradict those she made after the debate in June 2024. At the time, Jill Biden said her husband did “a great job,” praising him for knowing “all the facts.” Media outlets and online discourse had compared her reaction to that of a mother praising a child.
Joe Biden dropped out of the race one month later and endorsed his right-hand, Kamala Harris, as the Democratic nominee, leaving her 107 days to win over voters before the election.
Nearly a year after the debate, Joe Biden was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer. Trump has been fiercely critical of the former president’s health and his transparency around it.
