Former first lady Jill Biden on Tuesday said she does not know whether her husband, former President Joe Biden, would have been able to serve a full second term had he won reelection, acknowledging uncertainty about what his cancer diagnosis would have meant for his ability to remain in office.
Interview on 'Morning Joe'
In a wide-ranging interview on 'Morning Joe,' Biden talked about her new memoir, 'View from the East Wing,' which was released Tuesday, and discussed her husband's health, the impact of his decision to run for a second term and President Donald Trump's policies.
Asked directly whether Biden would have had to resign after his prostate cancer diagnosis, she said simply: 'I don't know. I don't know the answer to that.'
Support for Biden's Candidacy
Jill Biden has staunchly supported his decision to run for a second term despite concerns around his age. Across recent appearances to promote her new memoir, the former teacher has revealed she was frightened watching Biden during the June 2024 presidential debate. On Tuesday, Jill Biden called his performance 'inexplicable' but pushed back on claims that Biden's inner circle had shielded him from public scrutiny.
'If we were hiding him behind the scenes, why did we ask the Trump team for the debate?' she said.
Questions About Fitness
Questions about President Biden's fitness to serve followed him throughout his presidency and reelection campaign, with both Democrats and Republicans raising concerns about his age and mental acuity. At the time of the 2024 election, Biden was 81. Similar concerns plague Trump, who will turn 80 this month. Critics and medical experts have cited his rambling speeches, frequent misnaming and lapses in facts when speaking.
Then-President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden speak at a presidential debate watch party June 27, 2024, in Atlanta. via Associated Press
Criticism of Trump Policies
Jill Biden also criticized Trump's demolition of the East Wing to make way for a 90,000-square-foot ballroom, which has been stalled by legal challenges and lack of congressional approval.
'You know, I just think we've lost so much institutional memory,' said Jill Biden, who made history as the first presidential spouse to maintain her job, teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College.
'There's so much history, and that's what they should learn. Because, as you know, we don't have civics in school anymore, and they needed to learn that, and to learn to love the history of our nation.'
Dismantling Biden's Legacy
The former president's legacy stretches far beyond the White House walls, but since taking office, Trump has moved aggressively to dismantle or erase it. Within months of his second term, Trump reversed a majority of his predecessor's executive orders, purged DEI frameworks across the federal government, rolled back climate and environmental protections, and pardoned those convicted in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot while seeking to reframe the insurrection, among other actions.
She also decried some of the Trump administration's policies that have aggressively sought to undo Biden's legacy — including cuts to SNAP funding and Biden-backed 'Cancer Moonshot' grants — as 'heartbreaking.'
