What will Jill Biden's 'first lady' platform be? She's not concerned about having a catchy phrase, says report
First lady Jill Biden may not focus on one "first lady" platform according to new reports. Instead, the first lady is interested in multiple focus areas and a singular campaign like Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" or Melania Trump's "Be Best," is not on Jill's radar as she continues as a teacher at a northern Virginia community college while being the first lady.
According to CNN, Jill is unsure at the moment on how her agenda will unfold, only that it will "naturally evolve," as she told her staff. Her calendar is reportedly full of events, appearances (mostly virtual), and interviews as she pursues policy passion projects and continues teaching.
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Two White House officials told CNN that the first lady is not concerned about having a catchy handle or having one platform as her predecessors did. Instead, she had indicated that she wants to focus on military families, cancer research, free community college, and education in general, as areas that she wants to continue her work on as the first lady, and which of those causes lead the pack is not considered to be a big concern.
According to CNN, Jill has for decades juggled several initiatives, jobs and tasks, with Jill's former communications director, Courtney O'Donnell, telling the publication, "I can't remember a time when she didn't have a full plate. For most people, it would be a lot. For her, this is natural." Donnell most recently became the chief of staff to Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff during the Biden-Harris campaign. She said, "It's not a busy-ness for the sake of being busy. She is driven by the knowledge she has in all of the areas and the idea she can make a difference."
However, CNN contributor Kate Anderson Brower sounded cautious on Jill's lack of focus on one platform, saying, "Generally, first ladies have had more success when they have one singular issue that they really drill down on. She might decide to triage if her efforts become scattered."
Brower also said of Jill in comparison to her immediate predecessor, "I think Biden is elegant, but she's less of a clotheshorse and more of a workhorse. This first lady is not all about appearances and photo-ops."
Jill is, however, spurred on with more urgency by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the country, according to CNN and she is particularly concerned about the pandemic's effect on women. One White House official, when asked what the first lady finds particularly concerning in her assessment of the country during the pandemic, told CNN, "She knows women are feeling hopeless. There's an urgency for her to make sure they know she sees them."
Jill's routine at the White House often sees her staying up late to finish reading and reviewing the assignments she has given to her English classes. She has also said she will not take being the first lady for granted, saying, "I made a promise to myself, that even if this wasn't a platform I had asked for, it was one I would never let go to waste."
As Jill continues to be adored by the public, the right-wing media is more critical and skeptical of the first lady. Fox News recently criticized coverage of Jill's "radical normalcy" by news outlets, alleging that Jill's tweet from Valentine's Day was "carefully curated, down to the selection of a Black-owned bakery."
The outlet also stated that "this is the way" the Bidens and Obamas use social media "to sell themselves as loving and 'relatable' people." The article also states, "the liberal media always adores first ladies who are Ivy League-educated lawyers or career educators, not just -- ick -- wives."