AdvertisementAdvertisementJoe Biden speaks during a presidential debate with Donald Trump, Jun 27, 2024, in Atlanta. (File photo: AP/Gerald Herbert)28 May 2026 08:54AM (Updated: 28 May 2026 08:58AM) Bookmark Bookmark WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedInAdd CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results.Read a summary of this article on FAST.Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST WASHINGTON: Former US first lady Jill Biden says in an upcoming interview that her husband's disastrous 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump was so alarming, she thought he was having a stroke on stage."I was frightened, because I had never ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never," she told CBS News Sunday Morning as part of an interview airing this weekend."I don't know what happened," she said in the clip released Wednesday (May 27). "As I watched it, I thought, 'Oh, my God, he's having a stroke.' And it scared me to death."In the debate, then 81-year-old President Joe Biden stumbled on his words, stared open-mouthed and lost his train of thought as he struggled to counter his bombastic rival.Yet immediately after the debate, Jill Biden praised her husband's performance, telling him in front of a crowd of supporters: "Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question, you knew all the facts."Joe Biden and Jill Biden arrive on the South Lawn of the White House, Jan 23, 2023, in Washington. (File photo: AP/Evan Vucci)Joe Biden's debate performance sparked intense concern within the Democratic Party over his evident decline, ultimately leading to his exit from the White House race in favour of then-vice president Kamala Harris.She lost to Trump following an abbreviated campaign.Former US President Biden undergoing radiation therapy for prostate cancer: SpokespersonSource: AFP/fhSign up for our newslettersGet our pick of top stories and thought-provoking articles in your inboxSubscribe hereGet the CNA appStay updated with notifications for breaking news and our best storiesDownload hereGet WhatsApp alertsJoin our channel for the top reads for the day on your preferred chat appJoin hereAlso worth readingContent is loading...Expand to read the full storyGet bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try.Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FASTFAST