By
/ CBS News
Washington — Former first lady Jill Biden said she thought her husband was "having a stroke" during then-President Joe Biden's disastrous performance in the 2024 debate that preceded his departure from the race.
"I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never," she said in an interview for CBS News "Sunday Morning," which will air Sunday.
The former first lady said her husband's performance in the debate "scared me to death." But her comments at the time did not reflect what she now says were her concerns.
Biden and then-GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump faced off on June 27, 2024, in what was expected to be their first debate in the lead up to November's election. But the debate brought questions over Biden's ability to stay in the race — and calls for him to step aside — to a fever pitch, and ultimately contributed to his decision to abandon his bid for a second term.
When the pair appeared on the debate stage in Atlanta, Biden alarmed Democrats as he, with a raspy voice, stumbled through many of his answers, often lost his train of thought and struggled to communicate his positions. The president, who was 81 at the time, had a busy travel schedule in the lead up to the debate, and his campaign chalked up his performance to a cold.
During one infamous answer during the debate, Biden struggled to form a coherent response to a question about tax rates and the national debt, before concluding "Look, if we finally beat Medicare."
Speaking to supporters after the debate, Jill Biden said, "Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question, you knew all the facts," and she joined the crowd in chanting "four more years." The couple then made a stop at a Waffle House, where the then-president said "I think we did well" and said he had a sore throat.
In the days following the debate, the Biden family gathered at Camp David, where a source told CBS News at the time that they encouraged him to stay in the race and keep fighting. When a Vogue Magazine cover story on the first lady came out days later, an editor's note detailed how Jill Biden told the magazine from Camp David that the then-president "will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he's been president."
"We will continue to fight," she said, adding the president "will always do what's best for the country."
On July 21, 2024, Biden dropped out, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris to take the spot at the top of the Democratic ticket. Months later, Jill Biden told ABC News his exit was the "right call."
Now, the former first lady is sharing a fuller picture of her reaction to the debate performance, in a wide-ranging interview on the election, the former president and her forthcoming book.
Jill Biden said she is aiming to "set the record straight" on her time as first lady through the book.
Watch more of Jill Biden's interview on "Sunday Morning" on May 31 at 9 a.m. on CBS stations and streaming on Paramount+.
