The Debate Got Even Worse When Jill Escorted Biden Off Stage

No matter what side of the political spectrum you're on, most of us can agree on one thing: The first presidential debate of 2024 didn't go too well. However, an already difficult-to-watch evening of television somehow managed to get worse right at the very end. When it was time to leave the debate stage, 81-year-old President Joe Biden was helped by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. His apparent carefulness when descending the short staircase only solidified the public's concern about his health.

Biden Helped Off Stage After Debate #biden #joebiden2024 #JoeBiden #BidenHarris2024 #debate #CNNDebate pic.twitter.com/EKYjEyZsKG

— ForTrump2024 (@TForTrump2024) June 28, 2024

Many folks are more worried about Joe than ever after the debate. The president, who is seeking his second term in office, seemed slow and weakened while debating former president Donald Trump. Beyond Joe's appearance and demeanor, the debate itself also caused a bit of alarm. The candidates often seemed to get lost in personally attacking each other and failed to engage in a healthy debate about the issues. 

After an already worrying 90 minutes, Joe's exit from the stage raised quite a few eyebrows. Jill joined Joe onstage and took his hand to help him down the stairs. Despite there being only a few steps to walk down, the Bidens took their time, and they both seemed fixated on keeping him from falling. Of course, this was a particularly high-stakes staircase descent; it certainly wouldn't have gone over well if the president fell down the stairs. However, the measures they took to avoid that potential debacle didn't have ideal optics, either. 

Jill Biden didn't spend nearly as much time onstage as her husband did on debate night. Even so, her helping hand as Joe Biden wrapped up the evening wasn't her only moment that got people talking. "Jill Biden" was trending on X, formerly known as Twitter the day after the debate, and this was likely due to the speech she made later in the night.

Jill Biden is certifiably terrifying

All while Joe sits and waits for his juicebox pic.twitter.com/WDn3kZZ0ZE

— Riley Gaines (@Riley_Gaines_) June 28, 2024

After the debate wrapped up and the uneasy staircase moment was behind them, Joe and Jill headed to an Atlanta watch party. After being announced as "the clear winner of the debate tonight," Joe walked onto the stage, per C-SPAN. Once again, he moved slowly, but Jill walked ahead of him this time instead of holding his hand. The first lady took the microphone and began chanting "Four more years" along with the crowd before speaking directly to her husband. "Joe, you did such a great job. You answered every question. You knew all the facts," she said. Joe listened, smiling and looking bewildered, before taking over the mic. The president was a bit more commanding and enthusiastic during his speech than he was on the debate stage. Jill's introduction, though, — especially after the help she gave him walking down the stairs earlier — felt infantilizing and further indicated Joe's need for assistance.

Memes, jokes, and genuine concern spread like wildfire all over social media following the debate, and Joe Biden's age and ability were called into question by many. CNN's video clip of Jill Biden helping Joe off the stage was shared over and over and garnered quite a few comments. "I walked [down] stairs better after knee surgery," wrote one X user. Another poked fun at the situation and Melania Trump's absence, writing, "My husband asked where [Melania] was — I laughed and reminded him that [Donald Trump] didn't need someone to hold his hand while walking." 

Folks also had plenty to say about Jill's post-debate speech. "Jill Biden gives Joe a 'gold star' for his debate performance tonight..." one X user wrote with a facepalm emoji. Another said, "Watching Jill Biden congratulate Joe last night reminds me of how I talked to my kids when they learned their ABC's." One viral post noted that Joe's age doesn't dictate his capability, saying, "Joe is old. He speaks slow. Moves slow. But he understands the questions. Answers them. Provides context, knowledge, shows he understands international affairs..." 

Luckily, as of now, there will be another presidential debate between Joe and Donald in September. We're all hoping that it goes a bit better than the first one did.