First Lady Jill Biden Expresses Disappointment with Nancy Pelosi
In a rare public interview with The Washington Post, First Lady Jill Biden spoke about her disappointment with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi following her husband, President Joe Biden’s, departure from the 2024 presidential race. The two were friends for 50 years, but Pelosi expressed reservations about Biden’s ability to defeat Donald Trump in November.
Pelosi was among the top Democrats to publicly question Biden’s ability to win the election, saying that it was up to the president to decide whether to stay in the race. Biden remained adamant that he would stay in the race, despite the reservations of some Democrats.
The first lady also spoke about her conversation with Trump at the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last month. She said that she and Trump had a good meeting, and that she respects their institutions and traditions. She also expressed her hope that Trump would continue to engage in respectful dialogue, despite the bitterness of the 2024 campaign.
In the interview, Jill Biden also spoke about the summer weeks during which Democrats privately and publicly pushed for her husband to step aside from the race. She said that she was disappointed with how the situation unfolded, but that she learned a lot about human nature.
The first lady also expressed her concern that her husband won’t receive credit for some of his accomplishments, including infrastructure investments. She acknowledged the complicated dynamics of her husband pardoning their son Hunter in the closing weeks of his presidency, saying that Joe Biden wrestled with the decision.
As her work at the White House winds down, Jill Biden hopes that women will see her as a reflection of themselves, a mom, a grandmom, a working woman, a sister, and a friend. She also hopes that they will remember her husband as a strong, empathetic president with integrity and character.