After the presidential debate fiasco, Jill Biden sends the message that they still all agree

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. — Jill Biden stood by her husband’s side Saturday as they left Air Force One for two campaign stops at luxurious vacation homes on Long Island. And she got right to the point when it was her turn to introduce the president at a major fundraiser.

“Joe is not only the perfect person for the job. He is the only person who can do it,” she said.

The first lady also told donors: “Anyone can tell you what they want to do, but Joe Biden can tell you what he has done with his judgment, his experience and his relationships with leaders around the world.”

The first lady is trying to rally support for her husband after a dismal performance in Thursday’s presidential debate raised new concerns about President Joe Biden’s age and ability to run in November’s election and serve another four years.

The community college professor has stood by her husband since he left the debate stage as he faces what could be a defining challenge to his presidency: The president says democracy itself is in danger. game in his race against former President Donald Trump.

It reflects the first lady’s influence, her love for her husband and the pressure facing an 81-year-old candidate who many voters fear is too old to serve another term as president. While Trump’s wife has been noticeably absent from the campaign trail, Jill Biden has taken on a prominent role, wearing a dress emblazoned with the word “Vote” on Friday.

Less than 24 hours after her husband’s disastrous debate, she stood before a crowd in Greenwich Village and spoke glowingly about her husband, without a nod to the swirling controversy over his bid for another term.

“Joe will never stop fighting for this country and for communities like this,” she said during an event at Stonewall National Monument, a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride. “That’s what Joe is. He wakes up every morning thinking about how he can improve the lives of Americans. »

But she was more candid later in the day at an LGBTQ fundraiser in the city, saying of her husband’s debate performance: “I know it’s on your mind.”

“Like Joe said earlier today, he’s not a young man,” she admitted. “And you know, after the debate last night, he said, ‘You know, Jill, I don’t know what happened. I didn’t feel very well. And I said, “Look, Joe, we’re not going to let 90 minutes define the four years of your presidency.” »

The first lady then went on to fiercely defend the president’s abilities, signaling that there was no backing down from his intention – their intention, in fact – for him to continue his campaign.

“What my husband knows how to do is tell the truth,” she said. “When Joe falls, he gets back up, and that’s what we’re doing today.”

Jill Biden, 73, has long been her husband’s chief confidante and public defender, but her role has become more prominent this year and has drawn increasing attention from Trump supporters, some of whom wonder whether she is the one in charge these days.

When the first lady shook the president’s hand as he left the debate stage Thursday night after his faltering performance, Republican Rep. Chip Roy of Texas reposted the video on X with the question: “Who is the commander in chief?”

Jill Biden, reluctant at first to take on the role of political wife, is now up for it.

Earlier this year, when voters were rejecting the idea that Biden would actually run for another term, it was Jill Biden who rejected the idea that he might not see it through.

“How many times does he have to say it for you to believe him?” “” the first lady told The Associated Press in a February interview during a trip to Africa. She added: “He says he’s not finished. He didn’t finish what he started. And that’s what’s important.

The Philadelphia native has taken an increasingly aggressive tone as she told supporters that Trump had “raised my Philly.” But the race with the former Republican is tight, and she said at Friday’s fundraiser that “we have to work harder than we’ve ever worked before.”

She does not just praise the qualities of her husband, she regularly tells her supporters anecdotes about their relationship and their life together. At Friday’s events, she told LGBTQ+ rallies that Trump was a “threat” to their rights and that “we can’t let him win,” a sign that she won’t back down from the tough business of politics.

Last month, the first lady gave a speech to students at a community college in Arizona, where she talked about ignoring doubters and moving forward with their goals.

“The next time someone tells you you can’t, you’ll say, ‘Oh yeah?’ Look at me,” she said.

It was an echo of the words her husband had used repeatedly when asked about his ability to do the job for another four years: “Look at me.”