'I Was Heartbroken': Jill Biden Fiercely Defends 'Walking Out' of The Room During Kamala Harris' Phone Call as Ex-Veep Demanded Joe's Endorsement
Jill Biden explained her emotions behind a controversial passage in her memoir about Kamala Harris.
June 5 2026, Published 6:00 p.m. ET
Jill Biden fiercely defended a passage in her new memoir in which she claimed she walked out when Vice President Kamala Harris allegedly began demanding Joe Biden quickly endorse her as his replacement, less than an hour after he announced he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The former first lady, 72, elaborated on the tense episode when she was pressed by a moderator during a Washington, D.C., stop on the book tour for her new memoir, View From the East Wing.
Jill Biden's Wording Became 'Tense' When Writing About Kamala Harris
Jill Biden said she didn't 'storm' out of the room but did leave during Harris' call to her husband.
Jill got a little testy when journalist Paola Ramos shared her thoughts on the compelling passage in the memoir.
"I'm reading the book, and particularly in those moments when we talk about the transition, the president dropping out and then endorsing her, and correct me if I'm wrong. The words start to feel tense when you talk about her, and a little bit more loaded," Ramos observed.
She asked Jill about whether she questioned Harris' "loyalty" to Joe, "because there's this one moment in the book that I think a lot of people are talking about, when you describe that when President Biden was talking about stepping down and endorsing her, you walk out. You walk out of the room because she wanted an immediate endorsement, and you storm out."
A fiery Jill shot back, "I didn't say storm," but did admit she walked out on Harris' pointed call because the moment was too "emotional."
Jill Biden Still Believed Her Husband Was Fit to Be President When He Dropped Out
Jill Biden was 'emotional' when her husband dropped out of the presidential race.
"Joe had made the decision to drop out. It was very emotional, you might well imagine," Jill explained, saying they were fielding worried calls from their kids and grandchildren.
She described her husband as sitting in the next room "negotiating" the return of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich in a prisoner swap with Russia.
"I'm looking at all of this happening, and I'm thinking to myself, my god, you know, here they're saying Joe can't do his job. He's in the other room on the phone getting Evan Gershkovich's release," Jill noted of how she still believed her husband was fit to be president.
'It Was Overwhelmingly Sad' to See Joe Biden's Career End the Way It Did
Jill Biden called the moment 'overwhelming.'
"So, I'm emotional. I mean, I kept my composure. I'm not like crying or anything. And I'm watching all this unfold. I mean, I was so torn, and I was taking in all this emotion from our kids and our grandkids. I'm heartbroken for my husband, of course. And then you, you know, Kamala was on the phone. I mean, how would you feel?" Jill described the then-Vice President's call to Joe.
"Of course, I walked out. It was like too much. It was overwhelming," she said about leaving the room when Harris began making endorsement demands of the president.
The former educator noted, "And to me it was overwhelmingly sad for this man who had given his life 50 years of public service, and to end like this and to end like this, I mean, I was heartbroken. And that's why I walked out."
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Kamala Harris Wanted Joe Biden's Endorsement '20 Minutes' After Withdrawl Announcement
Jill Biden claimed Harris wanted the president to immediately endorse her after he dropped out of his second term bid,
In her memoir, Jill described the conversation between her husband and Harris on July 21, 2024, when he announced he was officially dropping out of his second presidential run.
The former White House resident recalled Harris saying, "Oh my God, Joe. Are you sure?" but then went full-court press to be elevated to the top of the ticket.
When the president said he wanted to wait until the next morning before giving Harris his endorsement, Jill claimed the Veep demanded, "I want it sooner."
When Joe said he'd give her a call "when I figure this out," Harris allegedly pressed him, "Could you do it soon? Say, in 20 minutes?" causing Jill to get up and leave the room.
