First Lady Jill Biden faced criticism after participating in the first White House cabinet meeting held by the Biden-Harris administration in nearly a year. Social media users, commentators, and political figures expressed concerns about her role in the meeting, with some questioning her authority to participate in a presidential cabinet meeting.
President Joe Biden introduced his wife to the meeting, where she spoke on a White House initiative, emphasizing the significance of the issue. He acknowledged that it was the first time she had joined such a meeting, framing it as an indicator of the importance of the topic she was addressing.
However, the event quickly sparked backlash online. Former Fox News host Andrea Tantaros expressed concern, questioning whether the lack of cabinet meetings over the past year or Jill Biden’s involvement was more troubling. She pointed out that the First Lady does not hold a security clearance and is not an official government figure. Vivek Ramaswamy, a former presidential candidate, also weighed in, suggesting that neither Jill Biden nor Vice President Kamala Harris had earned the right to exercise such power, given that they were not elected to lead.
Media analyst Joe Concha and commentator Mary Katharine Ham raised additional concerns, with Ham mocking the idea of an unelected person overseeing the cabinet meeting and Concha criticizing how media outlets like MSNBC portrayed the event.
Some compared Jill Biden’s involvement to Edith Wilson, the wife of President Woodrow Wilson, who took on unofficial presidential duties after her husband’s stroke. Columnist Marc Thiessen echoed this sentiment, questioning why someone without an official government position was leading a cabinet meeting.
Representative Mike Waltz (R-FL) and other critics expressed broader concerns about who is truly running the country, given the First Lady’s prominent role in the meeting. The event has sparked a larger conversation about the extent of Jill Biden’s influence within the administration and the transparency of the decision-making process.
