Minutes after President Biden wrapped up his shocking debate performance against Donald Trump, first lady Jill Biden rushed to his side and helped him walk offstage — while Democrats across the country plunged into full-blown panic.
Later that night, at an Atlanta hotel, she praised the 81-year-old president’s efforts, creating a stunning split-screen contrast with TV anchors and pundits still stupefied by Biden’s bumbling presentation.
“Joe, you did such a great job answering every question. You knew all the facts,” she said to cheers.
Eight years her husband’s junior, Jill’s efforts to prop up the Biden presidency have come into renewed focus in the wake of Thursday’s debate, which amplified long-standing consternation over his age and fitness for another four years in the Oval Office.
As The Post has previously reported, Jill has a well-earned reputation for shielding her husband from heavy media scrutiny and occasionally lashing out at aides who she believes fail to prevent some of his gaffes.
The first lady has even stepped in to preside over events where Joe Biden might have been expected to play a major role.
On Wednesday, the night before the debate, Jill hosted a Pride Month Celebration on the White House South Lawn, while her husband was hunkered down at Camp David in preparation for the big night.
As the shock of the president’s labored, weak debate performance wore off, conservative critics rounded on the first lady.
“Jill Biden will not be remembered kindly in American history,” former ‘The View’ co-host and podcaster Meghan McCain wrote on X.
“Jill Biden tells Joe Biden he did a great job. I mean, how much of a monster is she? Needs to be way more discussed. She’s evil,” Outkick founder Clay Travis posted in response to Jill’s Atlanta pep talk.
“Congratulations to President Jill Biden, who has clearly been running this country for the last several months,” Daily Wire founder Ben Shapiro wrote on X.
“Shame on Jill Biden for allowing this to go on for so very long,” added ex-ESPN anchor Sage Steele. “Shameful actions as a wife. Shameful actions as a human being.”
“I have no respect for Jill Biden,” agreed Fox News contributor Lisa Boothe. “Encouraging your husband to embarrass himself like this is not love.”
Undeterred by the backlash, the first lady took the stage at Joe Biden’s first post-debate rally in North Carolina clad in a black dress with the word “vote” repeatedly emblazoned on it.
“What you saw last night on the debate stage was Joe Biden: a president with integrity and character,” Jill told the Raleigh crowd.
“He told the truth. And Donald Trump told lie after lie after lie.”
Jill is far from the only one helping Biden navigate potential snarls stemming from his age.
The president’s staff has been keen on avoiding repeats of his hard fall during last year’s Air Force Academy commencement, which was caused by him tripping over a sandbag onstage.
Biden has since been photographed wearing sneakers with a suit and using a shorter set of stairs to board Air Force One and head off the possibility of more untimely stumbles.
Meanwhile, the White House attempted to deny or ignore videos of Biden showing his age — recently dismissing clips of the president wandering away from his fellow world leaders at the G7 summit and having to be led offstage by former President Barack Obama as “cheap fakes.”
Those who highlighted the videos took a victory lap Thursday night and Friday morning.
“It’s interesting to see the people coming out of the woodwork, ‘suddenly’ panicking about Biden’s fitness to serve after this debate,” said conservative radio host Guy Benson on X. “This is how Biden has been for awhile [sic]. It’s not a ‘cheap fake.’ It’s been clear reality for some time.”
“Biden’s inner circle knew the situation. Yet when other people noticed the obvious, they called it ‘misinformation’ or a ‘cheap fake,’” added Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle. “They lied to their fellow Dems, and kept the party from having an orderly process to replace him. And then they put him up on that stage.”
Biden has another debate with Trump scheduled for Sept. 10 that will be hosted by ABC.
So far, his team is adamant that he intends to participate.
