Late-night host Stephen Colbert pressed former White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in a tense exchange about former President Joe Biden’s mental fitness and the fallout from his debate performance, which led to his withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.
Appearing Monday night on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Jean-Pierre defended Biden’s abilities, insisting she saw a capable and engaged president “nearly every day.” But Colbert, a strong Biden supporter, openly questioned Biden’s performance on the 2024 presidential debate night.
“I saw a guy who I had not seen backstage at the benefit that I did. It seemed like a dramatically different person,” Colbert said.
According to Colbert, that reason was the debate, "I don’t think anyone questioned his heart or his policy but it takes more than that to be the president of the United States and in a moment of great pressure on stage, we saw someone shock us and worry us and nothing could… pic.twitter.com/tNftOHopSP
— Alex Christy (@alexchristy17) October 21, 2025
Jean-Pierre pushed back, saying Biden never hid the effects of aging but remained sharp and effective in office.
“No one has ever said he hasn’t aged,” she said. “He would acknowledge it — he’d joke about it. But the man I saw nearly every day was someone who was engaged, understood policy, and was always putting the American people first.”
Colbert countered that the issue was not age itself but what Americans witnessed during the June 2024 debate, which rattled even supporters.
“I don’t think anybody questioned his heart or his policies,” Colbert said. “But it takes more than that to be President of the United States. In a moment of great pressure onstage, we saw someone shock us and worry us. And nothing could assuage that worry.”
Jean-Pierre acknowledged the performance was difficult to watch, calling the reaction “heartbreaking,” but stood by Biden’s record.
“No one is saying that the debate performance wasn’t shocking, wasn’t a disappointment,” she said.
Colbert replied sarcastically, “Disappointment is such a light term.”
The exchange underscored growing skepticism, even among Biden’s allies, about his capacity in the final months of his presidency.
Earlier that day, during an interview on CBS Mornings, Jean-Pierre faced similar questions from hosts Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil, who pressed her on how she could have missed signs of decline while serving as one of Biden’s closest aides.
🧵 KJP went on ‘CBS Mornings’ to kick off her book tour. It was BRUTAL, starting with Tony Dokoupil pointing out she *defended* Joe Biden and that she saw nothing cognitively wrong with him…
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 20, 2025
Dokoupil: “So, when this book landed on my desk and I saw A Broken White House in the… pic.twitter.com/C20VcR0Ii3
“You said you were a member of his inner circle, and you never saw the decline,” King said, referring to Jean-Pierre’s book and her notes. “After that, I wrote, ‘How?’ You even write, Karine, that you were on the plane with him going to the debate, and you didn’t see anything?”
Jean-Pierre explained she had limited interaction with Biden on the flight but reiterated that he was always mentally engaged and policy-focused.
During an interview with podcaster Tim Miller, Jean-Pierre faced another round of questions about whether President Joe Biden was truly capable of serving another full term.
Miller challenged the notion that Biden could have effectively governed through 2028, calling it “absurd” to suggest he still had the stamina and communications ability needed for the presidency.
Question: Do you think Biden could have been president all the way to 2028?
— Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) October 20, 2025
KJP: “I can’t speak to that."
Doing just great, Karine. https://t.co/1nZ00jFpwd pic.twitter.com/m9eQwqbeo2
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Jean-Pierre initially hesitated, “Look, I can’t speak to that,” when pressed on whether Biden could have continued in office until 2028.
The tension followed Jean-Pierre’s recent media appearances promoting her new memoir, Independent, in which she criticizes Democratic insiders for pressuring Biden to step aside.
