Former first lady Jill Biden has again raised questions about the circumstances surrounding her husband, former President Joe Biden's, performance during his 2024 debate with Donald Trump, entertaining the possibility that he may have been drugged.
During a podcast interview with Jamie Kern Lima, Biden was asked if doctors had ruled out a stroke the night of the debate. "Well, they did. They said, I mean, I didn’t say to them, when I was writing my book, I was reflecting, but I didn’t say, ‘God, did Joe have a stroke?’ I just said, ‘Is he OK? Is he OK?'" Biden responded.
When pressed by Lima about what her instincts suggested happened, Biden stated, "I mean, there’s all kinds of theories — you know, he had been traveling. I know he was tired, he didn’t feel well that day, when I saw him, but there was nothing definitive that I could point to. And I had been on the road for two weeks up until that moment. So, I wasn’t with him. I didn’t see him days before, weeks before. I saw him maybe one hour before."
Pressed further with the question of whether someone could have "laced his drink or something?", Biden responded, "Who knows? Who knows?"
FILE PHOTO: Former President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden during their first public interview since leaving office on ABC's "The View."
The 2024 presidential debate marked a significant moment in the election cycle, characterized by Biden's stammering, extended silences, and confused expressions, which led some of his supporters to call for him to withdraw from the race.
In her memoir, "View from the East Wing," Jill Biden wrote about her fear that her husband might have been having a stroke during the debate. She recalled in a May interview, "I wasn’t horrified. I was frightened. I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. I don’t know what happened. As I watched it, I said, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke.’ It scared me to death."
She told Lima that while doctors were present and assured her Biden was fine that night, his performance was an "aberration."
Some Democrats and commentators have expressed reservations about Jill Biden revisiting the events of the 2024 campaign, particularly after Kamala Harris's subsequent loss to President Trump. Former Biden spokesperson Andrew Bates questioned the necessity of publicly reopening "that painful conversation for the party right now." Jill Biden responded to Bates, urging him to voice his concerns directly to her.
Matt Dallek, a professor of political management at George Washington University, suggested that while the memoir tour might not significantly impact future elections, it contributes to a perception within the Democratic Party that the Bidens are dwelling on the past. Dallek noted that while affection for the Bidens remains within the party, there is also pain associated with the memory of Biden's presidency, especially its latter stages. He added that appearances by Jill Biden or Hunter Biden could also be seen as part of this focus on the past.
Former President Trump is expected to release his own book about his presidency in November, following the midterm elections.