Jill Biden visited 3 states in 24 hours to defend her husband from criticism. “Joe will continue to fight”
In Washington DC, surrounded by criticism and requests to step away from the presidential race, Joe Biden played it safe. In recent days, the President of the United States avoided impromptu speeches or unforeseen interactions, released a letter on social media and gave only two interviews (and one of them was on the progressive television channel MSNBC, known for being more affectionate towards Democrats).
On the contrary, Jill Biden, the first lady of the USA, opted on Monday for a more proactive approach. In a single day, the President’s wife visited three critical states for the US elections in November, passing through North Carolina, Florida and Georgia, seeking to reassure voters and arguing that “Joe has already made it clear that he is fully committed to your candidacy.
“That was the decision he made and, just as he always supported my career, I am doing so too. With four more years, Joe will continue to fight for you,” said Jill Biden, quoted by Associated Pressat a stop at a brewery in Wilmington, North Carolina, where a crowd was waiting for her.
The role of the first lady, in addition to defending social causes during the Presidents’ terms, is to reassure the population in times of tragedy or natural disasters. As the New York Times, it is practically unheard of for a first lady to be forced to defend the cognitive abilities of her husband or partner – not only with the party, but also with voters. And, if there was already a need to do so due to the electorate’s concerns about Joe Biden’s age (81), the head of state’s performance in the debate with Trump, at the end of last month, made it this need into an obligation.
Justin Sullivan
“As Supreme Commander, President Biden wakes up every morning ready to work for you. Donald Trump wakes up every morning thinking about just one person: himself,” said Jill Biden, at a stop in Tampa, Florida, reiterating the “sacred obligation” that her husband has with his Armed Forces. The visits were also made with the aim of raising support from families of military personnel and ex-combatants.
The Biden family’s strong connection to the military was often mentioned by Jill Biden – not only because appealing to veterans and the military has always been a safe move by candidates from both parties, but also because the oldest son The President’s elder, Beau Biden, who died in 2015, fought in Iraq with the Delaware National Guard.
And this military history also helped the first lady remember the time when Trump said, during a visit to a cemetery in France, that the dead of the Second World War were “failures”. “It’s despicable, but it’s not surprising. (…) Members of our Armed Forces honor their oath to protect and defend the Constitution. We can’t trust Donald Trump to do the same,’ she said.
Still in Tampa, in the same state where Trump lives, Jill Biden announced the formation of a support group of families of veterans and military personnel for the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris candidacy. “We can’t take anything for granted. We need to rise to the moment because our freedoms are at risk,’ she warned.
Jill Biden’s attitude in this campaign for her husband’s re-candidacy for the White House contrasts completely with the position of Melania Trump, Donald Trump’s wife and the previous first lady. While Jill Biden, like Michelle Obama, misses few rallies and speaks frequently, Melania has been practically missing in action, and has only been seen a couple of times at the former President’s campaign events.
Regarding questions relating to the President’s physical and psychological health, raised within the Democratic Party itself, the first lady did not make any statements and appeared affronted with journalists in Tampa.
