After Presidential Debacle, Jill Biden Delivers Message That They’re All Still In This Together

EAST HAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) — Jill Biden was by her husband’s side Saturday as they left Air Force One to head to two campaign stops at luxury vacation homes on Long Island. And she cut to the chase when it was her turn to introduce the president at a major fundraiser.

“Joe is not only the right 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 I can tell you what he did 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 dreadful performance in Thursday’s presidential debate sparked new concerns about President Joe Biden’s age and ability to compete and serve in the November election four more years.

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

It’s a reflection of the first lady’s influence, her love for her husband and the pressure facing an 81-year-old candidate who many voters worry is too old to serve another term as president. While Trump’s wife has been conspicuously absent from the campaign, Jill Biden has played 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 at an event at Stonewall National Monument, a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride. “That’s who Joe is. He wakes up every morning thinking about how he can make life better for Americans.”

She was more outspoken, however, later in the day at an LGBTQ fundraiser in the city, saying of her husband’s debate: “I know you’re thinking about it.”

“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, saying there was no going back on his intention – their intention, in fact – 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 primary confidante and public defender, but her role is becoming more prominent this year and drawing increasing attention from Trump supporters, some of whom wonder if it’s her who’s in charge these days.

When the first lady grabbed 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 denying that Biden would actually seek another term, it was Jill Biden who quashed the idea that he might not.

“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.

As a Philadelphia-area native, her tone grew increasingly fiery as she told supporters that Trump had “lifted my Philadelphia.” But the race with the former Republican is tight, and she said at the fundraiser Friday that “we have to work harder than we ever have before.”

She doesn’t just praise her husband’s qualities; she regularly shares stories about their relationship and life together with her supporters. 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 shy away from the tough business of politics.

Last month, the first lady gave a commencement speech to students at an Arizona community college, in which she talked about ignoring the doubters and pursuing their goals.

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

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