Jill Biden Feared President Biden Suffered Stroke During June 2024 Presidential Debate

Former US First Lady Jill Biden has stated she believed her husband, then-President Joe Biden, was suffering a stroke during his notably poor performance at a June 2024 presidential debate. “I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never,” Jill Biden told CBS News. “As I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh, my God, he’s having a stroke.’ And it scared me to death.”

President Biden faced significant pressure from within the Democratic Party to withdraw his candidacy following the debate against then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. Biden subsequently exited the race and endorsed then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

The former First Lady’s interview is scheduled to air on Sunday. Jill Biden was considered a highly influential adviser during her husband’s presidency, and among those who ultimately encouraged his withdrawal from the 2024 contest.

Following the June 2024 debate, concerns within the Democratic Party mounted regarding the President’s performance. The Biden campaign initially insisted the President would not step down and would debate Donald Trump again. During the debate, Biden and Trump discussed immigration, the economy, and abortion rights. However, Biden’s “slow start,” as described by Kamala Harris, caused significant unease among Democratic leaders.

Biden’s campaign attributed his raspy voice to illness and acknowledged a moment where he appeared to lose his train of thought. These issues intensified existing voter concerns about Biden’s health, mental acuity, and age, then 81. Analysts across US media outlets raised questions about Biden’s capacity to serve and his electoral prospects.

Despite the challenges of replacing an incumbent president months before an election, Biden’s debate performance, coupled with subsequent gaffes at a NATO summit and a frail appearance following a COVID-19 diagnosis, led to the end of his candidacy. Harris then secured the Democratic nomination approximately three months before the election, ultimately losing to Trump.

In the aftermath of her election defeat, Harris criticised Biden’s decision to seek a second term as “recklessness.” She wrote in her memoir, “‘It’s Joe and Jill’s decision.’ We all said that, like a mantra, as if we’d all been hypnotized. Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness.”