Jill Biden revealed she comforted Joe after his disastrous debate performance, as even she admitted it was “in the minds” of their campaign donors.
The First Lady has come under fire in recent days amid growing concerns about an aging President Biden, with some speculating that she is a driving force behind his push to stay in the 2024 race.
At a fundraiser on Friday in New York City, Jill told supporters that her husband is “not a young man” but said she only offered words of reassurance after his 90-minute debate.
“After the debate last night, he said, ‘You know, Jill, I don’t know what happened. I wasn’t feeling great,'” she began, according to a New York Times reporter Katie Rogers.
“I said, ‘Look, Joe, we’re not going to let ninety minutes determine which four years you’ve been president.’
The First Lady has come under scrutiny in recent days amid growing fears about President Biden’s worsening age, with some speculating that she is a driving force behind his push to stay in the 2024 race.
During the debate night, Jill attracted attention when she gently helped the 81-year-old off the stage and then congratulated him for “answering all the questions.” Some observers felt he didn’t set the bar high enough.
She appears to be stubbornly sticking by his side until November, despite the fact that the debate has reportedly sparked panic within the Democratic party over possible impeachment of the president.
A source close to the First Lady told DailyMail.com that the couple “know (Joe) didn’t have the best first debate,” but that they have no plans to change course.
“Is he the best person to be president now and for the next four years? 100% yes,” the insider said.
“She’s been his wife for 47 years; she’s his biggest supporter, biggest champion and biggest believer.”
President Joe Biden insisted he can still win the election at his first campaign rally after his disastrous debate performance, where he appeared much more energetic than the night before
U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the crowd during a campaign event at the Jim Graham Building at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds in Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S., June 28, 2024
The day after Biden’s debate fiasco, the president appeared much stronger and more virile at a rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, where he insisted he “intends to win this election” in November.
Jill Biden called it a “wonderful event,” with more than 2,000 supporters gathering to show their support.
The meeting, however, did not put an end to rumors that Democrats wanted to intervene and urge Biden to withdraw from the race. Former President Barack Obama and the First Lady are seen as the few people who could convince him to do so.
Biden already has the Democratic nomination and would have to voluntarily step aside to avoid running against Trump in November.
Betting markets showed Biden’s re-election chances took a big hit after the debate, according to polling aggregator RealClearPollingwhich tracks a number of betting markets, showing that Biden now has just a 22.2 percent chance of re-election, compared to Trump’s 54.8 percent.
Biden was at 35 percent before his weak performance on the debate stage, still behind Trump, but RealClear’s aggregator has Trump easily beating Biden in a number of markets, with the worst odds for the president coming from Betfair – at just 16 per cent.
There is talk of replacing Biden as the Democratic candidate, with the name of California Governor Gavin Newsom having been mentioned several times. PredictIt estimates the chance that Newsom will beat Trump in November at 14 percent.
And at BetOnline — where Biden’s odds dropped from +130 to +300 overnight — the company said it had received a flood of bets on potential replacements for Biden on the Democratic ticket.
“We kept betting on Gavin Newsom and Michelle Obama over and over again,” political oddsmaker Paul Krishnamurty of BetOnline told the newspaper. New York Post.