On this episode of On Purpose, host Jay Shetty interviewed Dr. Jill Biden, former First Lady, educator, and author, in a deeply personal conversation covering her new book and the Biden family's most difficult moments. The most explosive revelation came when Biden disclosed that President Joe Biden has stage 4 cancer metastasized to his bones and will be on treatment for life. Biden also revealed her genuine shock at Kamala Harris's 2024 election loss, admitting she misjudged the race by focusing on rally crowds rather than social media indicators like TikTok, where Shetty noted Trump's support was overwhelming. The conversation covered the trauma of the 2024 debate, where Biden feared Joe was having a stroke when he froze on stage, and her heartbreak over his political career ending negatively after 50 years of public service. Biden opened up extensively about Hunter Biden's addiction crisis, revealing the family often didn't know his whereabouts for weeks while his daughters desperately asked for him, and disclosed flying in an interventionist only to have Hunter flee immediately. She also discussed the death of Beau Biden from glioblastoma, explaining why she titled her book with the line "once you lose a child, nothing can hurt you," describing how doctors told them he could turn around until the very day he died. Throughout, Biden reflected on her 49-year marriage to Joe, her lifelong teaching career, the importance of women's health research, and her regret about not speaking more openly about Hunter's addiction during their White House years.
The former First Lady revealed her raw fear watching from the green room during Joe Biden's disastrous 2024 debate performance, genuinely believing he might be suffering a medical emergency when he froze on stage. After the debate, Biden told her directly, "I really effed up, didn't I?" to which she responded, "Yeah, Joe, you did."
Read this moment →Jill Biden described the family's desperate search for Hunter Biden during his addiction crisis, revealing they often had no idea of his whereabouts for weeks at a time while his daughters repeatedly asked for him. She disclosed flying someone in for an intervention, only to have Hunter flee the house immediately upon realizing what was happening.
Read this moment →Dr. Biden expressed deep sadness that President Biden's five-decade political career concluded following the 2024 debate debacle and his subsequent withdrawal from the race. She revealed that Biden told her "I had no choice" when he stepped down after losing Democratic Party support, despite some calling him a hero for passing the torch.
Read this moment →Dr. Jill Biden admitted she was genuinely shocked by Kamala Harris's 2024 election loss, having gauged victory based on rally crowd sizes rather than social media metrics. When host Jay Shetty noted Trump's massive support on TikTok was a clear indicator, Biden acknowledged she "wasn't monitoring that" and had used the wrong barometer.
Read this moment →Former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden revealed on the On Purpose podcast that President Joe Biden is living with stage 4 cancer that has spread to his bones and requires ongoing treatment. She described watching him slow down and noted that cancer "really takes a toll," adding that it has been "a cruel blow" for the family.
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