Former first lady Jill Biden said she thought her husband Joe Biden was having a stroke during his June 2024 presidential debate against Donald Trump, according to an interview with CBS News.

"I was frightened, because I had never, ever seen Joe like that before or since. Never," Jill Biden told CBS correspondent Rita Braver in the interview. "As I watched it, I thought, 'Oh, my God, he's having a stroke. And it scared me to death.'"

The former first lady described being alarmed by her husband's performance during the debate, which was widely viewed as a poor showing for the then-incumbent president. The June debate became a pivotal moment in the 2024 campaign cycle.

Joe Biden's debate performance drew significant criticism and concern from Democrats and observers, with many questioning his fitness for office based on his apparent struggles during the televised event.

The debate ultimately became part of a chain of events that led to Biden's decision to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, ending his reelection campaign and clearing the way for Vice President Kamala Harris to become the Democratic nominee.

Portions of the CBS interview were released Wednesday, with the full interview scheduled to air on Sunday. In the interview, Jill Biden reflected on what she described as an unprecedented moment in observing her husband's public performance.