Dateline
Apr 22, 2026

Jill Biden Fires Back At Democrat Critics Of Her New Memoir

 

Former first lady Jill Biden is pushing back against critics of her new memoir, defending her decision to revisit the turbulent final months of the 2024 election while also making new comments about former President Joe Biden’s health and political future.

Speaking Wednesday at a promotional event in New York City for her book, “View from the East Wing,” Jill Biden responded directly to Democrats who have questioned whether reopening old wounds from the 2024 campaign serves any purpose for the party.

One of those critics was former Biden White House spokesman Andrew Bates, who recently suggested that the memoir unnecessarily revisits painful political memories.

“I don’t see why that painful conversation for the party needed to be publicly reopened right now,” Bates said, according to the New York Post.

Jill did not hold back when addressing the criticism.

“I want to say to Andrew: Call me up, and say it to my face, buddy,” she responded.

The former first lady argued that critics are overstating the political content of the book, noting that only a small portion of the memoir focuses on the campaign and its aftermath.

She said the book contains just one chapter dedicated to politics and is largely focused on her experiences in the White House and personal life.

During the event, Jill Biden also addressed renewed scrutiny surrounding her husband’s disastrous June 2024 debate performance, a moment many Democrats view as the turning point that ultimately ended his reelection campaign.

She rejected suggestions that she ignored warning signs about Joe Biden’s condition before the debate, arguing that she was not present during his preparation sessions at Camp David.

“I was out campaigning,” she said. “So I didn’t see him at debate camp at Camp David.”

Jill Biden added that repeatedly revisiting footage from the debate has been difficult for her.

“I never wanted to see that moment again in my life but since I’ve been doing press for two days, they’re like, ‘Watch this clip,'” she said.

At the same time, she acknowledged something that many Democrats had been reluctant to publicly admit during the campaign.

“I saw Joe aging. My God, we all saw him aging,” she said.

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