Former First Lady Jill Biden has claimed in a new memoir that a rumored Senate letter calling for President Joe Biden to exit the 2024 presidential race “could have killed him,” saying the pressure came at a moment of intense political strain for the former president during his final campaign.
The claim appears in View from the East Wing, a book released Tuesday in which Jill Biden reflects on the Biden family’s time in the White House, the challenges of the 2024 election cycle, and the aftermath of Joe Biden’s decision to withdraw from the race.
In the memoir, Jill Biden describes the period following Biden’s widely criticized June 2024 CNN debate performance against Trump as a turning point in the election campaign.
She writes that the debate triggered increased scrutiny of the president’s age and fitness for office and led to growing pressure from within the Democratic Party for him to step aside.
According to excerpts from the book, Jill Biden recalls that after the debate, Biden himself expressed frustration about his performance, reportedly telling her, “I really f***ed up, didn’t I?” She also writes that she briefly questioned whether his condition during the debate could have been linked to a medical issue, though she does not provide further details.
Following the debate, the memoir describes a rapid escalation of political pressure on Biden from Democratic lawmakers and party figures who believed his chances of winning reelection had significantly weakened.
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Jill Biden writes that efforts were made within the administration to reassure supporters and staff in the immediate aftermath, but she later acknowledges that they may not have fully addressed public concern about the president’s appearance.
The book also references conversations involving senior political figures, including former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as pressure continued to build for Biden to reconsider his candidacy.
Jill Biden writes that while some advisers and allies urged him to remain in the race, others were increasingly vocal about the need for him to withdraw.
Joe Biden ultimately ended his 2024 reelection campaign following a period of isolation and recovery from COVID-19 in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, according to the memoir.
Jill Biden writes that discussions about stepping aside took place with senior aides during this time, as the political situation intensified.
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One of the most striking claims in the book concerns a rumored letter reportedly being prepared by members of the Senate urging Biden to exit the race.
Jill Biden writes that the idea of receiving such a letter would have been deeply distressing to the president due to his long-standing respect for the Senate, and she states that it “could have killed him,” describing it as something that would have caused extreme emotional harm.
The book further covers Joe Biden’s decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, who had been convicted on federal firearms-related charges. Jill Biden writes that the decision was made after careful consideration and amid concerns about what she describes as the family’s politically motivated treatment.
She says the pardon was intended to prevent what she characterizes as unfair punishment tied to Biden’s political career.
