Jen Psaki reveals she was worried for Biden 'as a person' during disastrous June debate

AUSTIN, TEXAS: Former White House press secretary and current MSNBC host Jen Psaki opened up about her concerns for President Biden during what she described as a "heartbreaking" time.

Appearing at the Texas Tribune Festival on Friday, September 6, Psaki spoke candidly with The Atlantic's Mark Leibovich—revealing that her worries during the June debate were more personal than political.

Jen Psaki’s concerns during Trump-Biden debate

When asked how she felt during the infamous June debate—where Joe Biden’s performance raised eyebrows about his fitness to serve another term—Jen Psaki didn’t mince words.

“Well, watching it, my first reaction was not, ‘Oh my gosh, Trump is going to win the election.’ That was not my reaction. I care about him as a human being. And my first reaction was, I do care about him a lot, was like, ‘Is he OK?’” Psaki shared.

“Honestly, it was like, ‘Is he OK? And I don’t say that because I was feeling like I was going to go on Twitter and be alarmist, but I care for him as a person,” she continued. “I was worried about him as a person.”

The June debate marked a turning point, with media voices urging Biden to step aside shortly after it ended. His performance, where he seemed confused, uncertain, and raspy, left many stunned and fueled concerns about his age and mental acuity.

Initially, Biden dismissed it as merely a "bad night," but the pressure continued to build. Ultimately, he opted not to run for reelection, endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as his preferred successor.

Psaki was live on air as the news broke, and it hit her hard. Hosting on MSNBC at the time, she reacted to the announcement that Biden would step aside. Reflecting on the summer, Psaki described it as an "incredibly difficult roller coaster" for Americans, herself included.

“The summer, I think, was heartbreaking and difficult for so many people. People who loved him, people who were fearful of Trump winning, people who loved Harris, people with all sorts of emotions within this country,” Psaki explained. “And as much as I was on television talking about this, I experienced that too, as a human being.”

Jen Psaki reflects on importance of a handshake during debate 

In the same interview on Friday, Jen Psaki also weighed in on the upcoming debate between Kamala Harris and former President Trump. She suggested that Harris should make an effort to shake Trump’s hand when they take the stage on Tuesday, Fox News reported.

This would mark the first in-person meeting between Harris and Trump, and Psaki believes that a handshake could set the tone for the debate.

"I think, yes," Psaki responded when asked if there would be a handshake. "Or, if you’re her, you make an effort," she continued. "Here’s the thing that’s very difficult… it feels much better to scream at someone and be like, ‘What the F are you talking about?’"

Psaki also shared her thoughts on the challenges she believes Harris will face during the debate.

“The balance for her is how do you push back when he is spewing lie-filled rants, which will happen. If he attacks you in a racist or sexist or creepy way? Which certainly can happen,” Psaki said, pointing out that while the Harris-Walz campaign has effectively countered Trump’s attacks from a distance, it’s "different than doing them in person."

"This is probably one of the biggest audiences you're going to have before the November election. Everybody out there is not a progressive Democrat watching this debate," she continued. "And you need to appeal to a broad audience of people who may be on the fence, who may have never voted for a Democrat before, who maybe have never voted before."

The handshake between presidential candidates, once a tradition, has faded in recent years. In 2016, Trump and Hillary Clinton opted not to shake hands during their second and third debates, and in 2020, Biden and Trump skipped the handshake due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Tuesday night in Philadelphia offers Harris and Trump a chance to restore this tradition.

Jen Psaki stepped down as Biden’s press secretary and joined MSNBC in May 2022, the New York Post reported.