Jill Biden reflects on role as First Lady: “A little harder than I imagined”

In a televised appearance that went live on Sunday, First Lady Jill Biden said the role is “a little harder” than she had expected. She was joined in part by her husband, President Joe Biden, for the “CBS Sunday Morning” segment that took a look into the lives of the couple. 

“I think it’s a little harder than I imagined,” said Jill Biden, 70, regarding her status as first lady. “It’s not like a job that you do; it’s a lifestyle that you live. It’s 24 hours a day.”

The president then became emotional and seemed to tear up for a moment as he described how his wife greets him from the White House balcony whenever he returns from any trips. “Smile,” the first lady urged, after which the president did. “She says, ‘Joe, you’re too emotional. You get too emotional.’ She’s right,” he said. 

When asked about concerns regarding the 79-year-old president’s mental fitness, she responded by saying simply, “I think that’s ridiculous.”

She praised the country’s widespread efforts on vaccination and the recently approved $1 trillion infrastructure deal. The first lady also defended the president’s record in office and showed little concern over his 43 percent approval rating. After being asked whether she thinks his ratings will improve when his accomplishments sink in with the public, she said, “I do.”

“He did come in and rescue America with the American Rescue Plan,” she added in reference to legislation pushed forward in March that provided checks to many Americans and provided billions of dollars to localities.

Mrs. Biden is herself a community college teacher, and she gave a respectful answer when asked about the decision by democrats to remove a proposal for free community college from an enormous social spending package that is currently being debated in Congress. “I understand compromise and I knew this was not the right moment for it,” she commented. “But that doesn’t mean it might not get passed somewhere down the future.”