Jill Biden’s relentless pursuit of power

00:00 07:50

Freddy Gray has narrated this article for you to listen to.

At rallies, Joe Biden often speaks after his wife. ‘My name is Joe Biden and I’m Jill’s husband,’ he begins. It’s a line he has used for years – a faux humble joke about how much more impressive she is. These days, however, it sounds more like an admission of the real pecking order.

In the past week, we’ve seen the extent to which Dr Jill Biden (as she insists on being called) has taken charge of her ailing spouse’s collapsing campaign. This week, she appeared on the cover of American Vogue, looking imperious in a white tuxedo dress. ‘We will decide our future!’ shouts the quote headline. That’s a very royal ‘we’, isn’t it?

After that painful presidential debate last Thursday, as Donald Trump strolled off stage left, Jill took the humiliated Joe by the hand and led him gingerly down the steps. The pair then went to an event with fans at an Atlanta hotel. ‘Joe you did such a great job!’ shouted Jill as the Commander-in-Chief stood by her grinning feebly. ‘You answered every question!’ She was slightly more candid with Vogue. ‘[We] will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president,’ she said, when asked about the debate. ‘We will continue to fight.’

Jill Biden just gave the most cringe intro for Joe Biden after the debate:

“Joe you did such a great job .. What did Trump do? LIE..” 😳 pic.twitter.com/7Zhw6dMGBG

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 28, 2024

Sources close to the Bidens have long said that Jill is the one person who can persuade Joe to stand down. ‘The only person who has ultimate influence with him is the First Lady,’ says an insider. For now, however, even as a growing number of Biden’s supporters say he ought to do the honourable thing and resign ahead of the Democratic National Convention in August, Jill seems ever more determined to cling on.