While First Lady Jill Biden still feels betrayed by the Democratic Party after they abandoned President Joe Biden after pledging their support for him, she had three words for Vice President Kamala Harris after taking over the campaign, per the Daily Mail.
In a phone call on July 21, after Biden announced to Harris that he would be dropping out of the presidential race, the first lady told his successor, “We love you,” according to a source familiar with the conversation.
Jill is scheduled to take the stage at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night before her husband officially passes the torch to Harris.
The first lady plans to return to teach at the Northern Virginia Community College and hit the campaign trail to support Harris in the fall.
The source told the outlet that she will “speak about the President’s strength and character, in a way that only a spouse of nearly 50 years can do, and she’ll reiterate her support for Vice President Harris, calling on Americans to come together ‘with faith in each other, hope for a brighter future, and love for our country.’”
The first lady’s behavior towards Harris has changed drastically since 2020. She was reportedly angry at the vice president for her remarks towards Biden after attacking his school busing record in the 1960s during the 2019 primaries.
After her husband endorsed Harris in a letter posted on X, the first lady also issued a statement on social media endorsing Harris.
“Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill,” she wrote.
The source said Jill will also spread this message on the campaign trail.
Though she is in full support of Harris, the first lady is known to hold grudges. She has not forgotten about the Democrats who questioned Biden’s ability to lead the country through a second term after his disastrous first presidential debate with former President Donald Trump.
“The first lady was dismayed at people who privately supported her husband and then publicly did not stand by him while he was weighing whether to stay in the presidential race,” another source told the Daily Mail.
The first lady has not spoken publicly about Biden’s decision to end his re-election campaign. She is expected to highlight her husband’s success during the last four years at the DNC.
“Down to the last hours of the decision only he could make, she was supportive of whatever road he chose. She’s his biggest believer, champion, and always on his side, in that trusted way only a spouse of almost 50 years can be,” said Elizabeth Alexander, her communications director.
The Bidens plan on traveling to Santa Ynez, California after Monday night’s speeches as Harris officially accepts the Democratic nomination.
