US first lady Jill Biden on Monday said that it was “a little shocking” that a sizeable number of Republicans are still thinking of voting for former US president Donald Trump even after his federal indictment.
Biden told Democratic donors that next year’s US presidential election presents a choice between what she described as the “strong, steady leadership” of US President Joe Biden and the “chaos and corruption, hatred and division” of “MAGA [“Make America Great Again”] Republicans.”
The first lady, speaking to a small group of Democrats in an apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, said that she was surprised to see a headline before her flight landed that described a majority of Republicans in a poll saying they were still planning to vote for Trump, who was to appear in a Florida court yesterday.
Photo: AFP
“They don’t care about the indictment. So that’s a little shocking, I think,” she said.
Jill Biden referred to Trump’s time in office and the stakes for next year’s election by saying: “We cannot go back to those dark days.”
Although the election in which Joe Biden is seeking a second term is more than a year away, helping him win is a top priority for the first lady, who is also a community college English professor.
Photo: Reuters
She started a three-day fundraising swing on Monday in New York City before flying later that night to California.
She is scheduled to hold events in San Francisco and Los Angeles, with most of her time to be spent raking in money at four political events, including two in California’s Bay Area, to benefit the president’s campaign, the Democratic National Committee and Democratic state party committees.
She urged donors to “think about where we were three years ago.”
“We know what’s in store with the MAGA Republicans. We just know it, right? We know because we’ve lived it. We’ve seen it,” she said. “We know what it’s like to see US policy tweeted out in late-night tweet-storms.”
She did not name Trump, but referred to his habits of blasting off posts on Twitter that announced policies, insulted foreign leaders and nations and even fired staffers.
Trump on Monday arrived in Florida ahead of his federal court appearance on felony charges accusing him of illegal possession of classified documents.
Ahead of his court date, Trump and his supporters have said he is the target of political persecution by the US Department of Justice.
Trump vowed to appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Joe Biden and his family if Trump is elected to a second term.
The first lady was at times blunt about how she saw next year’s election, but was informal and conversational, pressing her palms together, referencing her career as a teacher and referring to her husband as “Joe.”
“As she has been for all her husband’s presidential campaigns, she will continue to be a formidable presence on the stump,” said Elizabeth Alexander, a senior campaign adviser. “Her warmth and approachability combined with her 30-plus years as a classroom teacher, make her an effective messenger on the campaign trail.”
The first lady is viewed by the political establishment as one of her husband’s strongest assets.
Democratic consultants and pollsters say people see her as someone they can relate to, maybe even reminding them of their favorite teacher.
“Some people go to presidential fundraisers because, quote, unquote, it’s necessary,” said Bob Mulholland, a longtime Democratic campaign strategist. “People go to Jill Biden’s fundraisers because they want to hear from her.”
“Everybody who meets this woman loves her,” said Steve Westly, a Bay Area venture capitalist who helped raise large sums of money for Joe Biden in 2020.
Westly, who is set to host the president at his home this month, said that Jill Biden is the “most genuine, sunny, warmhearted, kind person you’re ever going to meet. She just exudes that.”
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