Former President Joe Biden made his first televised appearance since leaving office — and it didn’t go well.
Biden sat down with his wife Jill on Thursday’s episode of The View, and what followed was another troubling moment for a man long accused of declining mental sharpness. When pressed on accusations from Democrat-authored books about his “dramatic” cognitive decline in his final year in office, Biden stumbled, mumbled, and barely completed a sentence.
“They are wrong,” Biden said, before veering off into a confusing tirade that mashed together January 6, COVID deaths, and what he called “basic issues” without clarity or coherence.
“We had a circumstance where we were in a position that we ahh…well, I’ll pandemic…,” he said, trailing off.
As the awkward silence grew, Jill Biden jumped in to rescue him — again.
“People who wrote those books were not in the White House with us,” she insisted, painting a picture of a tireless husband who stayed up late working through briefings while she slept.
Former Pres. Biden responds to reports questioning his cognitive abilities while in office, saying on #TheView, "They are wrong."
"The people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us," former first lady Jill Biden added. "If you look at things today, give me Joe… pic.twitter.com/JndjhBmDMf
— The View (@TheView) May 8, 2025
Meanwhile, Joe sat silently, arms folded, staring blankly ahead.
Even the hosts of The View — usually reliable defenders of Biden — were silent during the exchange, offering no pushback, but also no applause.
Background on the Cognitive Concerns
A new book due out in July from major mainstream political reporters claims that Biden’s own aides debated whether to have him undergo a cognitive exam in early 2024 — not to improve his health, but to protect his campaign.
The book, 2024: How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America, claims Biden’s team ultimately decided against the test, fearing the results or the optics of even admitting it was necessary.
Those fears proved valid. Biden would eventually drop out of the race after relentless polling showed voters were alarmed by his physical and mental decline.
Even some of Biden’s most loyal media allies began to admit what was obvious.
On an April episode of The View, co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin admitted, “I did look at him and think, I think maybe you do need to step aside.”
She continued, “The Democratic Party said, ‘you’re betraying him if you call it like you see it,’” acknowledging the chilling effect among liberals who dared to speak the truth.
