Jill Biden’s epic cringe moment steals spotlight after presidential debate

The first debate of the 2024 United States presidential race between President Joe Biden and Donald Trump was closely contested, but much of the post-debate attention centred on Jill Biden's cringe-worthy remarks rather than the candidates’ exchanges.

Following the debate, the Bidens addressed their supporters in Atlanta at a campaign-organised watch party, where Jill Biden’s introduction of her husband sparked reactions online.

Jill Biden’s praise for her husband’s performance included, "Joe, you did such a great job... What did Trump do? LIE." She continued, "Joe, you did such a great job answering every question, you knew all the facts."

The First Lady’s comments received criticism, with one user on X commenting, "There’s cringe. Then there’s Jill Biden."

Despite this, Joe Biden himself appeared more energetic in his post-debate speech than during the debate. He addressed his supporters, stating, "Over the next couple of days, they’re going to be fact-checking everything Trump said at the debate. I can’t think of one thing he said that was true... I’m not being facetious." He affirmed his commitment, saying, "You are the reason why America is as good as we are; we’re the finest nation in the whole damn world."

Critics, however, were puzzled by Biden’s contrasting energy levels. MSNBC host Rachel Maddow remarked that his speech was "a world away from what you just heard on the debate stage" and suggested that the more dynamic Biden would have excelled in the debate, noting, "But the Joe Biden that we saw on the debate stage was about 90% more soft-spoken than that."