What was supposed to be an evening focused on Jill Biden’s new memoir turned into a remarkably awkward spectacle when former President Joe Biden unexpectedly inserted himself into the event, drawing attention away from his wife and creating one of the more uncomfortable public moments of his post-presidency.
Jill Biden was appearing at New York City’s 92nd Street Y for a discussion about her recently released book, A View from the East Wing. Moderated by Whoopi Goldberg, the conversation covered a range of topics, including her years in the White House, her husband’s health challenges, and some of the experiences she chronicles in her memoir.
As the event appeared to be winding down, however, the spotlight suddenly shifted.
After Goldberg read a comment from an audience member thanking the former president for his service, Jill Biden stood and applauded her husband, who was seated in the audience. Moments later, Joe Biden, 83, left his seat and walked toward the stage, accompanied by security personnel.
Without a microphone and apparently without any advance planning, Biden announced that he had a question.
“Joe has a question, like you couldn’t ask it later?” Jill Biden joked as the audience laughed.
The former president then posed an unexpected question to his wife.
“Who do you love most in the whole world?” he asked.
Without missing a beat, Jill Biden answered, “Whoopi,” drawing another round of laughter from the crowd and from Goldberg herself.
The exchange might have ended there, but Biden remained standing and appeared dissatisfied with the response. As Goldberg attempted to continue the program, the former president continued looking toward his wife, prompting Jill Biden to eventually give the answer many in the audience suspected he was seeking.
“I love you most, Joe,” she said. “Was that it? Was that the answer he wanted?”
The crowd laughed again, but the moment continued to stretch on. Biden responded with a brief comment about the exchange being “overwhelming,” while Jill attempted to keep the conversation lighthearted.
“That’s what keeps him on his toes,” she joked. “He’s never 100 percent sure. I always keep him guessing.”
As organizers appeared eager to conclude the event, Goldberg encouraged audience members to purchase Jill Biden’s book. Yet even then, the former president was not quite finished.
Standing near the stage while exit music began to play, Biden pointed toward the audience and attempted to promote his own upcoming book. A staff member eventually handed him a microphone.
“My book, which comes out in September, read it…” Biden said.
Jill Biden immediately seized on the moment with another joke.
“Do I have to remind him that this is my event?” she asked.
The former president then pivoted to complimenting his wife.
“The only thing that Jill does better than write, she’s a beautiful woman,” Biden said before the event finally concluded.
The unusual exchange quickly overshadowed much of the evening’s discussion, which had included serious conversations about Biden’s health. Earlier in the event, Jill Biden reflected on her husband’s battle with Stage IV prostate cancer, which was diagnosed after he left office and later spread to his bones.
While noting that prostate cancer can often be treated successfully, she acknowledged the challenges associated with advanced disease and its treatment.
“You see Joe here tonight, he looks handsome as ever,” she said. “But you know, cancer drugs, cancer treatments have those consequences, and those consequences are pretty tough.”
