'I think that's ridiculous': Jill Biden dismisses concerns about her husband's mental fitness and claims he works 'almost 24 hours a day'
Jill Biden defended Joe Biden's mental health, calling questions about her husband's capabilities 'ridiculous' and saying he works 'almost 24 hours' a day.
Biden sat down with CBS' Rita Braver at Camp David to talk about life in the White House - a rare TV interview from the private presidential retreat in the Maryland mountains.
In the conversation, she admitted being first lady was a 'little harder' than she expected, expressed optimism at what her husband can do in a highly-charged political environment of Washington, and dismissed recent polls showing Americans have questions about the president's mental fitness.
'I think that's ridiculous,' she said about those polling numbers.
Jill Biden defended Joe Biden's mental health, calling questions about her husband's capabilities 'ridiculous'
The first lady, who has gone on national tours to sell parts of the president's congressional agenda to the country, particularly in red states that supported Donald Trump, said her husband works 'almost 24 hours a day.'
'He keeps working at it. He's an eternal optimist, and he keeps working, Rita, like almost 24 hours a day, at creating relationships with Republicans as well as Democrats. To push his agenda forward. It's that important,' she said in excerpts of the interview that aired Friday morning on CBS This Morning.
Asked if the president ever got frustrated, the first lady conceded: 'Well, he might make a disparaging remark once in a while.'
In a Politico/Morning Consult poll out earlier this month, voters were evenly split when asked if Biden is 'mentally fit': 46 per cent said he is and 48 per cent disagree.
The poll came out three days ahead of his 79th birthday. Biden was the oldest person to assume the presidency when he was sworn into office at the age of 78.
The president was declared 'fit for duty' after his annual physical, which took place the day before his birthday. The checkup included an 'extremely detailed neurologic exam.
'There were no findings that which would be consistent with any cerebellar or other central neurological disorder,' Dr. Kevin O'Connor, the president's longtime physician, wrote, saying the 'extremely detailed neurologic exam was reassuring.'
Jill Biden sat down with CBS' Rita Braver at Camp David in Maryland for an interview about life in the White House
Jill Biden, 70, sat down with Braver at Camp David, the presidential retreat in rural Maryland, to reflect on her first year in the White House, admitting life as first lady was 'harder' than she imagined.
The interview that will air this weekend on CBS Sunday Morning.
It touched on a number of subjects, including adapting to life in the spotlight; working to unify the country; and the president having to cut a free community college provision from his Social Safety Net bill.
'I think it's a little harder than I imagined,' Jill said of being first lady. 'It's not like a job that you do, it's a lifestyle that you live.'
Biden, who spent eight years as second lady of the United States, said there was no clocking out at the end of the day with life in the White House.
'It's not something you leave at 5:00 or at 3:00. And it's 24 hours a day.'
Biden is the first modern first lady to have a job outside of the East Wing. She teaches two days a week at a community college in Northern Virginia.
The long-time educator said she accepted the fact the president had to drop free community college tuition from his $1.9 trillion Build Back Better social safety net program and said it could come to fruition at a later date.
'No, I understand compromise. And I knew this was not the right moment for it. But that doesn't mean it might not get passed somewhere down the future,' she said.
Rita Braver also talked with Joe and Jill Biden in the Blue Room of the White House
The first lady also said the couple was working to unify the country.'I don't care if it's a red state or a blue state, I think you know, Joe is the president for all Americans,' she said.
Jill Biden has traveled to many states that supported Trump in the presidential election - such as Mississippi, Texas, Florida, Tennessee - to push for Americans to get their COVID vaccines and tout benefits people will see from the president's congressional agenda.
Braver also spoke with both Bidens at the White House for the interview. CBS released excerpts on Thursday.
In the Blue Room of the White House, which is decorated for the Christmas holidays, President Biden bragged about his wife of 44 years: 'I'm a lucky man. Jill is the life of my love and the love of my life.'
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