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Tokyo Olympics: Trolls mock Jill Biden for polka dot dress at opening ceremony

This is the first lady's first solo international trip since President Joe Biden entered the White House

First lady Jill Biden joined other dignitaries and heads of state from around the world when she visited with Japanese Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Friday, July 23, just ahead of the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics. The first lady was seen waving to the press as she entered the palace. She was seen wearing a black-and-white polka dot dress and pearls.

Biden, who arrived in Tokyo on Thursday and had dinner with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and his wife, Mariko Suga, is on her first solo international trip since President Joe Biden entered the White House. Biden’s dress, during this visit, got some negative reactions, especially from supporters of former President Donald Trump. One person tweeted, “Jill Biden walks like an arthritic old woman, dressed like one too.” Another Twitter user said, “First thing I thought of when I saw that Jill Biden's dress at the Olympics,” sharing a photo of a cow.

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This isn’t the first time Biden has worn this outfit. During a meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his wife Carrie Johnson in June, the first lady wore a polka-dotted dress. It is unclear if it's the same dress.

The first lady, in a letter to the Tokyo Olympics' Team USA, said, “Your journey to Tokyo likely started at a young age, the first time you picked up a ball or jumped in the water, the first ride that made you feel truly free or when the backflip you thought was impossible suddenly wasn’t.”

She wrote that throughout the years, the athletes participating in the Games “nurtured your talent, sweated and sacrificed to cut just a few more seconds, reach just a few more inches, or score another fraction of a point. You ached and stumbled, you got back up and you chased down every taste of victory you could,” and it was all those years of work that “all led here.”

“Becoming an Olympian is a rare accomplishment in a normal time, but you did it during a global pandemic,” she wrote. “You are forever one of the most elite, most celebrated, and most accomplished athletes in the world. Your entire nation is cheering you on and we are grateful for what you’ve given us: the chance to come together in common awe and appreciation for your accomplishments and the shared joy of rooting for our country on the edge of our seats.”

“You bring us together in a way that little else can,” she said. “You remind us that with dedication, hard work, courage, and teamwork, incredible things are possible. What a gift you give. What an honor it is to watch you soar.” Thanking all the Olympians for their hard work and tears and sweat and for representing the US, she signed off the message with, “Go Team USA!”