The Explanation

Jill Biden has explained the debate.

For those who did not watch the June 2024 presidential debate, the event produced approximately 90 minutes of footage that appeared to require explanation. Jill Biden has now provided one. Her explanation is that something may have been "in his system." She compared his debate performance to how he sounded during his COVID recovery.

I want to explain what an explanation does.

An explanation is supposed to take a thing that was unclear and make it clear. The mechanism is: you introduce information that resolves the confusion. When the explanation is complete, there is less confusion than before the explanation.

Jill Biden's explanation has introduced the following new information:

Something was in his system. (She did not specify what the something was. The something appears to have been in his system at the time of the debate. Whether the something had been in his system before the debate, or arrived during the debate, was not clarified.)

His COVID recovery. (She compared his debate voice to his COVID recovery voice. This comparison assumes the reader has a strong recollection of how Joe Biden sounded during his COVID recovery. The comparison implies his COVID recovery voice was notably impaired. This was not previously a known data point. It is a known data point now.)

Before the explanation, the unanswered question was: what happened at the debate?

After the explanation, the unanswered questions include: what was in his system, whether it was prescribed, whether it was the same as what was in his system during COVID recovery, whether it was in his system during other public appearances, and what Jill Biden's explanation of his COVID recovery would be if someone asked for one.

(I want to be precise about this: the explanation has added four questions for every one it resolved. This is a specific ratio. It is not a metaphor.)

The word "explain" implies the thing is now explained. She used the word "explain." She explained that something was in his system. The system is now explained.

There will be follow-up questions. The follow-up questions will be followed by a follow-up explanation. The follow-up explanation will use the word "context." The context will be that the original explanation was taken out of context.

After the context is provided, the question of what was in his system will remain. The question will be referred to as a distraction. The distraction will be covered extensively. Jill Biden will explain why the coverage is not helpful.

The debate was in June 2024. It is now June 2026. We have arrived at the explanation.