'A shock': Jill Biden revisits Joe's mental fitness debate as memoir puts WH years under scrutiny

WASHINGTON, DC: Former First Lady Jill Biden has pushed back against questions about former President Joe Biden's mental health while he was in office, insisting that while he was "definitely aging," she never witnessed signs of cognitive decline.

The remarks came during her first major interview with CBS News' 'Sunday Morning' since leaving the White House nearly 18 months ago. The interview on Sunday, May 31, touched on the former president's health, life after Washington, and the scrutiny that surrounded his final years in office.

Jill Biden rejects doubts about cognitive decline in Joe Biden

Addressing concerns that followed Joe Biden throughout much of his presidency, Jill Biden said the former president was slowing down due to age but remained fundamentally unchanged.

"Oh, he was definitely aging; I mean, we were all aging," She said. "So, yes, he was slowing down."

The former first lady rejected suggestions that Biden was no longer the same person voters had known for decades.

"Well, I don't think that's true," she stated. "He was the same, the essence of the same Joe Biden, but yeah, he was slowing down. He was getting older."

She argued that the presidency naturally takes a toll on those who hold the office.

"It's a very intense job. I think it ages you quickly. Look at the other presidents, I mean, in comparison, when they started in office and got out of office. It was natural aging," she said.

Questions about Biden's mental fitness became a recurring issue throughout his presidency, with several polls showing voters expressing concerns about his age and ability to serve.

During the interview, Jill Biden was reminded that she had dismissed those concerns as early as 2021.

When asked whether her position had changed, she offered a brief response. "And I still say that," She replied.

Life after the White House

The interview comes as the Bidens continue adjusting to life after leaving Washington in January 2025.

"It's been nearly a year-and-a-half since President Joe Biden and first lady Dr Jill Biden left the White House, for a quiet life in Delaware," the interviewer noted.

"Well, it's not exactly a quiet life," Jill Biden responded. "We're still doing a lot of things – writing, traveling, speaking. But then we come home, and this is our peaceful place."

The period after leaving office has been marked by significant health challenges for the former president.

Just four months after departing the White House, Joe Biden was diagnosed with an aggressive stage IV prostate cancer that had spread to his bones.

"He's doing well, but it was a shock," she said. "Honestly, I can remember getting the diagnosis, and it was just shocking."

Asked whether the cancer should have been detected earlier, the former first lady said that doctors had followed existing medical guidelines but acknowledged that the disease had somehow gone unnoticed despite what she described as excellent medical care in the White House.

The former first lady is currently promoting her new memoir, 'View From the East Wing', which reflects on her years in the White House and the changes that have taken place since the Trump administration returned to power.