Jill Biden's new memoir reveals her deep concern over former President Joe Biden's presidential debate performance, prompting debate about his health. Former chief spokesperson Michael LaRosa weighs in, accusing the White House of covering up issues instead of addressing them directly. He argues that the campaign's current attempts to change public perception are too late.
Former Jill Biden spokesman claims ex-first lady is trying to 'change the tape' after 2024 debate admission
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Former Jill Biden spokesman Michael LaRosa accused the former first lady of trying to "change the tape" after she revealed in a recent interview that she feared President Biden was having a stroke during his disastrous 2024 debate performance.
Jill is facing criticism for an apparent reversal of her feelings about her husband's performance in his debate against then-candidate Donald Trump.
"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," LaRosa said. "She wants to say, 'Oh no, my reaction was just as concerning and was just as severe as everyone at home. I was shocked.'"
SOCIAL MEDIA ERUPTS AFTER JILL BIDEN REVEALS SHE WAS 'FRIGHTENED' WATCHING JOE'S DISASTROUS DEBATE
He said Jill was "the face and the voice of the initial reaction for the country," and that if she had reacted at the time with the sentiments she later shared with CBS, "it would have been a more human response."
"You did such a great job, you answered every question, you knew all the facts," she said to then-President Biden in front of a crowd of cheering supporters following the 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 told CBS Sunday Morning in an interview that aired last week.
Republicans pointed to Biden's debate performance as evidence that he had declined too much to continue as the nation’s commander in chief, while Democrats maintained that the debate was an outlier — a momentary lapse.
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Even as Jill Biden’s comments seemed to continue to make that case almost two years later, Alex Thompson, an Axios reporter, shed doubt on her characterization.
"Biden aides told Jake Tapper and me that they had seen him act that way before and after. Those moments became more difficult to predict and conceal," Thompson said, referring to comments gathered during the writing of "Original Sin," a book covering President Biden’s time in office.
Fox News Digital's Leo Briceno contributed to this report.
Max Bacall is an Associate Editor for the Flash/Media/Culture team at Fox News Digital.