'He's having a stroke': Jill Biden opens up about Joe's 2024 debate

Jill Biden, wife of former President Joe Biden, said she worried her husband was having a stroke while watching his infamous debate against President Donald Trump in June 2024.

The admission came during an interview with CBS News Sunday Morning’s Rita Braver. The outlet published an excerpt of the interview ahead of its broadcast on May 31.

Asked how worried she was as she watched the debate unfold, the former first lady said she was “frightened” by the president's performance and even wondered if he was suffering a stroke on national television.

"I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never," Jill Biden told Braver.

She added, "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."

Biden drops out of the presidential race

Joe Biden’s debate performance has gone down as one of the most disastrous political moments in recent history. Within three weeks of the event, he announced he wouldn’t be seeking reelection, paving the way for former Vice President Kamala Harris to face off against Trump in the 2024 election.

Biden had battled concerns over his age since he took office in January 2021, but it turned into panic for Democrats after the debate with Trump. Biden's voice sounded faint, he struggled to complete sentences and finish thoughts, and he failed to rebut many of Trump's claims on the debate stage.

Drew Pittock covers national trending news for USA TODAY. He can be reached at [email protected].