Jill Biden Defends President Joe Biden After First Debate Performance: 'We Will Continue to Fight'

The first lady reflected on her husband's performance, saying they "will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president"

Jill Biden is standing by her husband after his presidential debate performance last week.

Just days after President Joe Biden sparked concern among political strategists for what they considered a weak performance during his first 2024 debate against former President Donald Trump  on Thursday, June 27, the first lady revealed to Vogue that she doesn't want the moment to represent the efforts he's made in the White House.

“[We] will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president. We will continue to fight," Dr. Biden, 73, told the magazine as part of her August 2024 cover story. “[He] will always do what’s best for the country."

Related: Joe Biden Sees Strongest Grassroots Fundraising Hour Since Campaign Launched After Muffled Debate Performance

Dr. Biden's comments — which she provided to Vogue from Camp David on Sunday, June 30 — came days after President Biden, 81, appeared disoriented with a muffled performance at the CNN debate, which strategists argued had reinforced fears about his age. The unprecedented debate in Atlanta between the oldest U.S. presidents in history also featured repeated false claims from Trump, 78.

A source later confirmed to PEOPLE that Biden had a cold, and he himself addressed the performance to a crowd the following day at a Raleigh, N.C., rally.

"I don't walk as easily as I used to. I don't speak as smoothly as I used to. I don't debate as well as I used to," he said. "But I know what I do know, I know how to tell the truth!"

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Former President Barack Obama also weighed in on Biden's performance, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that "bad debate nights happen."

"Trust me, I know," Obama wrote. "But this election is still a choice between someone who has fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself."

"Between someone who tells the truth; who knows right from wrong and will give it to the American people straight — and someone who lies through his teeth for his own benefit. Last night didn’t change that, and it’s why so much is at stake in November," he continued.

As previously reported, in the hour after the debate, Biden experienced his best grassroots fundraising hour since he launched his bid for reelection, per a Biden-Harris campaign official. June 27th also marked Biden's best day for grassroots funding throughout the campaign.

The president also saw a fundraising boost after his State of the Union address in March, as well as at fundraisers in New York City and Los Angeles this year.

The next presidential debate, moderated by ABC News' David Muir and Linsey Davis, is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 10.

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