Michael LaRosa, a former spokesperson for Jill Biden, accused the former first lady of trying to “change the tape” after her recent interview revealed she feared President Biden was having a stroke during his 2024 debate performance against Donald Trump.
Jill Biden’s Reflections on the Debate
In an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, Jill Biden described her reaction to her husband’s debate in June 2024. “I don’t know what happened. I mean, as I watched it, I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke.’ And it scared me to death,” she said.
Following the debate, she publicly praised President Biden in front of supporters, telling him, “You did such a great job, you answered every question, you knew all the facts.” Her recent comments have drawn criticism, with some viewing them as a reversal of her initial stance.
Michael LaRosa’s Response
LaRosa told Axios that Jill Biden’s interview appeared to be an effort to reshape the public perception of her reaction. “They’re trying to change the tape in people’s minds about who she is… that’s why she’s sort of changing her tune a little bit about her reaction in real time,” he said.
He emphasized that, as the first lady, Jill Biden was “the face and the voice of the initial reaction for the country” and argued that her honest, immediate response would have conveyed a more human perspective.
Political Reactions
Republicans cited Jill Biden’s recent comments as evidence of President Biden’s decline, arguing he was unfit to continue as commander in chief. Democrats, however, maintained that the debate was an outlier and not reflective of his overall performance.
Axios reporter Alex Thompson added context, noting that Biden aides had observed similar moments of struggle before and after the debate, which were reportedly difficult to predict or conceal. These observations were gathered during the research for the book Original Sin, which examines President Biden’s time in office.
