Fmr First Lady says she thought Joe Biden was ‘having a stroke’ during 2024 debate
OAN Staff Jenna Lee
4:00 PM – Wednesday, May 27, 2026
During the infamous June 2024 presidential debate, former President Joe Biden’s bid for a second term faltered in real time as he frequently stumbled over his words, paused mid-sentence, and appeared visibly disoriented.
The performance was so jarring that former first lady Jill Biden later admitted she was deeply alarmed, fearing her husband was actively having a stroke on stage.
“I was frightened, because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never,” she told Rita Braver with CBS News. “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.”
When pressed to explain his on-stage behavior, Jill Biden maintained that she was still unsure what went wrong, while then-Vice President Kamala Harris described it as a “slow start.” At 81, Biden was already the oldest sitting president in U.S. history and had faced intense scrutiny regarding his age since launching his reelection bid.
The White House initially blamed his dazed demeanor on a “cold,” then on jet lag from an overseas trip, and later suggested he had simply overprepared.
However, the damage was done. Mounting concerns over his fading voice and prolonged pauses led to widespread calls for his withdrawal. On July 21st — just 107 days before the election — Biden officially stepped aside and endorsed Harris.
After the fall out from the debate, the House Oversight Committee even began an investigation into a suspected cover-up of the then-president’s declining health. However, during the inquiry, former White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients testified that he saw “no evidence” that Biden was mentally unable to do his job, further denying any cover-up.
Zients argued that internal administrative discussions regarding Biden’s pacing and schedule were centered purely on managing public perception for the reelection campaign rather than a lack of governing capacity.
In the days that followed, the former first lady continued to defend her husband against accusations regarding his mental fitness, while the Biden administration continuously offered a range of excuses for the former president’s less than ideal performance during the debate.
Jill’s remarks come as part of a media tour ahead of the release of her upcoming memoir, “View from the East Wing,” which reflects on her four years in the White House.
“I wrote about all the, you know, sometimes painful — but other times, most of it really beautiful moments that Joe and I shared during his presidency,” she told The Associated Press.
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