Jill Biden vs Melania Trump: FLOTUS will be a more active champion of husband's agenda, reveal initial days
When it comes to serving as the nation's first lady, Jill Biden has no intention of tearing a page out of her predecessor Melania Trump's book. Just five days into her new role, Jill Biden has not stopped to catch a breath as she lends a hand in promoting her husband's agenda by holding multiple virtual meetings before governors’ spouses, young Latinos, and library officials.
While Melania often allowed weeks to pass between her public appearances, Jill has signaled with her actions that she intends to be a much more active first lady who keeps abreast of her husband, President Joe Biden's policies, which currently ranges from calling for national unity to his $1.9 trillion pandemic relief proposal. For one, she encouraged unity on Monday, January 25, during the governors’ spouses meeting over Zoom.
“We can’t do this alone,” she said, promising the administration would listen to all voices. “Congress will need to pass the legislation and, ultimately, it will take state and local leadership.” A similar message was pushed by Jill Biden in a meeting with young Latinos over Zoom. “We need you in this effort,” she told them. “No one can speak to your communities like you can, and you know how much this matters.”
The first lady also pledged that “empathy, resilience, diversity, learning and trust” will be the “foundation of the administration that we will build" in a videotaped message to the American Library Association’s midwinter virtual conference. “We’re going to invest in all communities. We are going to listen to all Americans,” she said. “We’re going to work to heal the pain that has come from this time of crisis.”
While Melania was largely absent from Washington in the opening months of ex-President Donald Trump’s administration, opting to stay back in New York shortly after the inauguration in January 2017 with their son, Barron, insisting that she was fulfilling her motherly duties aiding him finished out the school year uninterrupted, Jill was down at the Whitman-Walker Health clinic to highlight services for cancer patients just two days after the first family entered the White House. She also made an unannounced visit to the US Capitol to deliver chocolate chip cookies to National Guard members as an appreciation for providing security for the swearing-in ceremony.
Jennifer Pickens, an author who studies the White House, said that the 69-year-old teacher had “hit the ground running, as she should.” “She has had the benefit of being married to a statesman of nearly 50 years and has come to the role of first lady after spending eight years as the second lady, something we have not had since first lady Barbara Bush,” Pickens said.
It was also reported that the first virtual event hosted by Jill Biden, just a day after her husband took office, was to honor teachers. This came after she announced that she planned to become the first first lady to hold a full-time career as a teacher beside her duties as the first lady. "I have never felt prouder of our profession," the first lady said. "In this pandemic, educators have shown a heroic commitment to their students. So, on behalf of a grateful nation, thank you. You have been so strong. And now it's time for us to be strong for you."