Jill Biden says she feared her husband was ‘having a stroke’ during 2024 debate
Former President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance in 2024 contributed heavily to his political fall from grace. Now, the former First Lady shares perhaps her most candid thoughts about it yet.
by Summer Lane | May 29, 2026
Former First Lady Jill Biden told CBS in an upcoming interview that she worried her husband had suffered a stroke during the 2024 presidential debate – the only time then-President Joe Biden debated President Donald Trump.
“I wasn’t horrified, I was frightened,” Biden told CBS. “Because I had never, ever seen Joe like that, before or since.”
When asked what she thought during the debate that caused Biden to perform so poorly at that debate, she said, “I don’t know what happened. I mean, as I watched it, I thought, oh my god, he’s having a stroke, and it scared me to death.”
This is quite the revelation, given Mrs. Biden’s past glowing support for the former president’s objectively bumbling performance in the 2024 presidential debate. Throughout the moderated discussion, Biden often appeared confused and struggled to finish his sentences.
“Joe, you did such a great job!” Mrs. Biden declared at a campaign rally in Atlanta, Georgia, following the debate. “You answered every question – you knew all the facts! And let me ask the crowd: what did Trump do? LIE!”
Biden’s debate performance was disastrous for his political career. It was one of the final failures that ultimately led to him bowing out of the 2024 presidential race and being replaced by his vice president, Kamala Harris.
As far as Mrs. Biden’s claims that she had “never” seen the former president act in such a manner before or after the debate? That comment has spurred significant debate.
“Biden aides told @jaketapper and me that they had seen him act that way before and after. Those moments became more difficult to predict and conceal,” said political correspondent Alex Thompson on X. “And Jill joined Biden for several campaign events after the debate including a rally the next day.”
