When I think of the First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden, I think of a very nice, very caring woman who is passionate about education. I do not necessarily think of her as an attack dog. However, she is now using her influence on the campaign trail to go after Donald Trump. And I am happy she is!
The role of candidates’ spouses is always a fascinating one in politics, especially at the presidential level. Trying to navigate the space of standing up for their loved one and also being a strategic net-positive can be a tricky thing to accomplish. I think that Dr. Jill Biden has done a good job of standing by her husband’s side and not ruffling too many unnecessary feathers.
But recently she has been traveling to key states launching the “Women for Biden-Harris” coalition. It appears she is playing a stronger role in the campaign this second time around, including extending her State of the Union invitations to women who have been impacted by Republicans’ attacks on reproductive freedoms, from abortion to IVF.
At a recent stop in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Biden took direct aim at the former President and presumed Republican candidate, Donald Trump.
When speaking about women, Dr. Biden said she was proud of her husband’s record on women’s issues. She then put that in stark contrast to the Republican’s leading candidate.
On Trump, she said, “He spent a lifetime tearing us down and devaluing our existence. He mocks women’s bodies, disrespects our accomplishments, and brags about assault. Now he’s bragging about killing Roe v. Wade.”
These are harsh criticisms coming from the First Lady. They are so accurate though! First, Dr. Biden mentioned a lifetime, which I think is very important. Trump has always been a sleazeball, not just as a politician. Everything about his existence is gross and offensive and I think people need to hear this to remind them of his overall character.
She also spoke in specific terms with specific language. “Devaluing our existence” is a very critical indictment of how people like Trump view women. She also said “assault” and didn’t mince words. This is what Trump was legally found liable for after all. We need to hammer down this point: That if you support Trump, you are supporting a sexual abuser and someone who is proud of it. Period. She went on to discuss the attacks on women’s healthcare that Trump has helped spearhead, specifically in the state of Georgia, as an example.
She told the crowd: “He took credit again for enabling states like Georgia to pass cruel abortion bans that are taking away the right of women to make their own health care decisions. How far will he go? When will he stop? You know the answer: He won’t. He won’t.”
There are so many horrible things about Trump but pretending to be a “pro-life” advocate is one some may forget about. I say pretend because there’s no way Trump actually cares about the issue of abortion. He is simply playing a role. Either way, he is dangerous to women and reproductive healthcare, as Dr. Biden pointed out.
(via CNN, featured image: Nathan Howard/Getty Images)
