WASHINGTON — First lady Jill Biden will have a role at the Democratic National Convention on Monday as part of a larger tribute to her husband, President Joe Biden, as both will appear in different capacities than was planned just a few weeks ago when he was still the party’s presidential nominee.
It is expected to be a particularly poignant moment for a first lady who has often been his fiercest defender, marking a public transition for the couple after they navigated the most challenging political chapter of their lives.
The first lady has privately expressed dismay at some Democrats who were quietly supportive but publicly did not stand by her husband while he was weighing whether to stay in the presidential race, according to two people familiar with her thinking.
She now wants to ensure that his legacy of decades of public service is protected, these people said.
“She’s tough and of course defends her family when she needs to,” said Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady’s communications director, who has worked with the Bidens since Joe Biden was in the Senate. “Always has, always will.”
The Bidens will have their time at the convention Monday evening and do not plan to stay in Chicago for the rest of it, said two people familiar with the planning — a departure that is likely to be described as fueled by a desire not to take the spotlight away from Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he endorsed. In the fall, the first couple is expected to campaign for Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, though it’s unclear how often they will be stumping for the new ticket.
The first lady plans to keep teaching English and writing at a community college this fall, and she was putting the finishing touches on her lesson plans this week as she geared up for the convention, according to her office.
She has often told people that she does not need to be a political adviser to her husband because he has plenty of those in his life already, people close to both Bidens say. But she played a pivotal role of support in the days leading up to his decision to end his re-election bid, these people said.
As Biden faced a growing drumbeat within his party to step aside and abandon his campaign, the first lady kept telling him that the choice was his alone and that she would support whatever road he chose, they said.
A few days after he bowed out, the first lady posted an image on social media of a handwritten note that said: “To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill.”
The decision to physically write it out and release it that way was “all her,” according to a source close to the first lady. She specifically wanted everyone to know “it came directly from her,” this person said, adding that Jill Biden had a deep desire to express gratitude to the people who had supported her husband from the beginning. She also wanted to “acknowledge how they might be feeling” in that moment and then to rally those supporters around Harris, this person said.
During her husband’s final few months in office, the first lady will keep working on her Joining Forces initiative to break down barriers to military spouse employment, according to her office. She will also continue to highlight the administration’s work on the Biden “Cancer Moonshot,” drawing from their family’s experience with the disease, as well as her commitment to improving women’s health research.
As first lady, Biden traveled to 19 countries and will try to shore up relationships with allies when she hosts a spousal program at the U.N. General Assembly next month, her office said.
Over the last 3½ years, the first lady traveled to more than 40 states, visiting 200 towns and cities, while keeping her teaching career going.
“She sees being first lady as an act of service,” Alexander said.
When she arrived at the White House, her main focus was getting the country vaccinated and helping schools reopen during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a longtime educator, Biden made history as the first spouse in her position to hold a paid job outside her administration role.
Biden often says of her profession: “Teaching isn’t just what I do; it’s who I am.”
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