WASHINGTON – First lady Jill Biden will attend the Democratic National Convention on Monday as part of a larger tribute to her husband, President Joe Biden, as both appear in different capacities than had been planned just weeks ago while he was still in office. the party’s presidential candidate.
It is expected to be a particularly poignant moment for the first lady, who has often been his staunchest defender, and marks a public transition for the couple after navigating the most challenging political chapter of their lives.
The first lady has privately expressed dismay at some Democrats who quietly supported but did not publicly stand by her husband as he weighed whether to stay in the presidential race, according to two people familiar with her thinking.
He now wants to make sure his legacy of decades of public service is protected, these people said.
“She’s tough and of course she’ll stand up for 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 been, always will be.”
The Bidens will spend time at the convention Monday night and don’t plan to stay in Chicago for the rest of it, said two people familiar with the plan — a departure likely attributed to a desire not to take on Vice President Kamala Harris, whom he endorsed. In the fall, the first couple is expected to campaign for Harris and his running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, though it’s unclear how often they will fight for the new ticket.
The first lady plans to continue teaching English and writing at a community college this fall, and she was finalizing her lesson plans this week in preparation for the convention, according to her office.
She has often told people she doesn’t need to be her husband’s political adviser because she already has plenty of them in her life, people close to both Bidens say. But he played a key supporting role in the days before he decided to end his re-election bid, these people said.
As Biden faced growing drumbeat in his party to step aside and abandon his campaign, the first lady told him the choice was his alone and that she would support whatever path he chose, they said.
A few days after her bow, the first lady posted a photo of a handwritten note on social media 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 your trust in Joe – now it’s time to place that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill.”
The decision to physically write it and release it this way was “all her,” according to a source close to the first lady. She especially wanted everyone to know “it came straight 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. He also wanted to “acknowledge how they might be feeling” at that moment and then rally those supporters around Harris, this person said.
During her husband’s final months, the first lady continues to work on her Joining Forces initiative to break down barriers to military spouse employment, according to her office. She also plans to continue highlighting the administration’s work on Biden’s “Cancer Moonshot,” based on their family’s experience with the disease, as well as its commitment to improving women’s health research.
As first lady, Biden traveled to 19 countries and will try to strengthen ties with allies when she hosts a spousal program at the United Nations General Assembly next month, her office said.
In the past 3½ years, the first lady traveled to more than 40 states, visited 200 cities, and continued her teaching career.
“She sees being first lady as a favor,” Alexander said.
When he arrived at the White House, his main focus was on vaccinating the country and reopening schools during the Covid-19 pandemic. As a longtime educator, Biden made history as the first spouse to hold a paid job outside of their administrative role.
Biden often says about his profession: “Teaching is not just what I do; it’s who I am.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
