Former US First Lady Jill Biden has opened up about President Joe Biden's disastrous performance in the first 2024 presidential debate, a moment that effectively ended his re-election campaign. In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, she described her shock and fear as she watched the event unfold.

'I wasn't horrified, I was frightened, because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since,' Jill Biden said. She admitted that as she watched, she thought, 'Oh my God, he's having a stroke,' and it scared her to death.

The debate on June 27, 2024, saw an 81-year-old Biden appear stiff, struggle to maintain his train of thought, and at one point trail off before abruptly declaring, 'We finally beat Medicare.' The performance sparked widespread concern about his fitness for office and led to calls from within his own party to suspend his campaign.

Biden withdrew from the race on July 21, 2024, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris, who ultimately lost to Donald Trump. Since then, Trump has sought to portray Biden as not in control of his own administration, questioning the validity of his executive orders and clemency decisions.

Trump has claimed that Biden used an autopen to sign documents, and his allies have pushed for the release of audio recordings and transcripts from Biden's memoir ghostwriting sessions. The Heritage Foundation is among those seeking publication, while Biden has sued to block the release, citing privacy concerns.

Biden himself has denied any cognitive decline, stating, 'I made the decisions during my presidency. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false.' The Justice Department reportedly found insufficient evidence to pursue a case against Biden or his aides.

Trump, who will be 82 at the end of a full term, also faces questions about his mental fitness. The debate and its aftermath continue to fuel discussions about age and leadership in American politics.

Source: www.aljazeera.com