Key Highlights
- Jill Biden recounts her husband’s poor performance in a 2024 debate.
- Doctors “checked” on Joe Biden moments after the debate, according to Jill.
- Jill questions what caused her husband’s debate performance, calling it “inexplicable.”
- Biden initially planned to serve only one term but later changed his mind.
Doctors checked on Joe Biden just as he left the stage following a disastrous debate against President Trump in 2024. Jill Biden, his wife and First Lady, recounted this moment during an interview with NPR’s All Things Considered. “He went with his group, and then we met up in the car,” she said. “The doctors checked him out and said, ‘Oh, he’s fine.'”
Debate Disaster
The debate on June 27, 2024, was a turning point for Joe Biden. His performance was described by Jill as “inexplicable.” “When people say to me, ‘What happened in that moment?'” she said, “I don’t know. I mean, I don’t know what happened.”
One Term or More?
Biden initially thought he would only serve one term. But the political winds changed for him. Jill confirmed this to NPR: “Originally, he thought just like you’re saying, ‘I’m going to do four years and get out.’ But then…
Everybody kept saying, ‘You’ve got to… The midterms were good. We’ve got to keep going.’ And so that’s why he made the decision to keep running.”
Behind Closed Doors
Biden’s health concerns after the debate are a mystery. Jill said she feared her husband might have had a stroke, but doctors declared him fine. “I went to get my stuff,” Jill added. “He went with his group, and then we met up in the car, and then the doctors, you know, checked him out and said, ‘Oh, he’s fine.'”
Joe Biden bowed out of the presidential race shortly after this debate. Kamala Harris took over as the Democratic nominee and ultimately lost to President Trump.
Reflections on Leadership
Jill also reflected on her family’s experience during the campaign. “No, I never want to go through that again,” she said of the hurt caused by questioning her loyalty and their handling of the 2024 campaign. “So to look back, I wouldn’t want anybody to go through that.”