Former US First Lady Jill Biden don tok say she bin tink her husband, President Joe Biden, dey have stroke during im 2024 presidential debate wey dem bin dey yarn. She tell CBS News, wey be BBC partner, say she fear well well because she neva see Joe like dat before.
“I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never,” Jill Biden tok. “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.”
President Biden bin face strong pressure from fellow Democrats to comot as dia candidate after im poor performance against then-Republican candidate Donald Trump. Biden ultimately drop out of di race and endorse then-Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Di former first lady interview with CBS News Sunday Morning Rita Braver go air on Sunday. Jill Biden don stand beside her husband throughout im decades-long career, from im time as Delaware senator to im years as president. Dem bin consider am as one of im most influential advisers during im presidency, and among those wey ultimately encourage am to step out of di 2024 race.
Following di June 2024 debate, months ahead of di presidential election, Democrats express unease at di president shaky debate performance. Biden campaign at di time insist say di president no go step down as di Democratic candidate and say im go debate Donald Trump again.
During di debate wey both men dey seek second term, Biden and Trump spar on major topics including immigration, di economy and abortion rights. But Biden “slow start” (as im own Vice-President Kamala Harris call am) leave some Democratic leaders worry. Biden bin get raspy voice, wey im team say na because im dey sick, and a moment where im seem to lose im train of thought.
Voters concerns about Biden health, mental acuity and age – 81 at di time – already weigh heavily on di debate. Analysts pile on di president across most major US media outlets, with concerns raise about Biden ability to do di job of president as well as im chances for di November 2024 election.
Dem bin tink say no likely say Biden, di incumbent president, go replace as di Democratic Party nominee just a few months before di election. Di difficult process of choosing anoda nominee dem see as having di potential to derail di party White House bid. But im debate performance – along with gaffes during a Nato summit in di following weeks and a frail demeanour after a Covid diagnosis – ultimately lead to am ending im candidacy.
Harris assume di Democratic nomination about three months before di election and ultimately lose her bid to Trump. For di aftermath of her election loss, Harris criticise her former boss, calling Biden decision to seek a second term “recklessness”.
“It’s Joe and Jill’s decision. We all said that, like a mantra, as if we’d all been hypnotized,” Harris write for her memoir. “Was it grace, or was it recklessness? In retrospect, I think it was recklessness.”
