President Trump announces plans for Trump Promenade behind the Lincoln Memorial
President Trump announced plans for the Trump Promenade behind the Lincoln Memorial to improve pedestrian access to the Potomac River.
President Donald Trump on June 4 reiterated his criticism of Biden’s debate performance, but said former President Joe Biden showed no signs of cognitive decline when they met after the 2024 election.
That debate, now being revisited in a new memoir and recent interviews by former first lady Jill Biden, continues to shape the public narrative surrounding Biden’s final year in office. She writes in “A View from the East Wing” that the president “lost his essence” that night, but notes that no aides expressed concern about the president’s condition beforehand.
Joe Biden was “the same person I’ve seen in a long time,” Trump said, adding, “I saw him 40 years ago, 30 years ago.”
President Trump said Joe Biden “was never a smart guy” and “wasn’t as sharp as a tackle.”
President Trump said “something happened” to Joe Biden during the debate, adding: “It could have been me.”
“The question is, did he do something bad because he choked, or did he do something bad because he didn’t choke? But he didn’t have a good night,” Trump said.
Jill Biden talks about the impact of the debate
The former first lady also said that after the debate, Joe Biden asked her, “You got really annoyed, didn’t you?” To which she replied, “Yes, that’s right.”
Appearing on “The View” on June 2, she said that no one on her staff had raised concerns about her husband’s health before the debate.
“When I saw that, when all Americans saw that moment on television during the debate, I was scared out of my mind because I thought, ‘Oh my God, he’s having a stroke.’
Biden’s performance in the debate was a defining moment for the 2024 campaign. Within weeks, he announced he would not seek re-election, paving the way for former Vice President Kamala Harris to take on Trump in the general election.
Contributor: Susan Page and Drew Pittock, USA TODAY
