Former Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated during a Fox News interview on Thursday that First Lady Jill Biden appeared to act “just as much president” as President Joe Biden throughout his term.
The remarks came amid discussions about President Biden’s decision to seek reelection, particularly following his poor debate performance against President-elect Donald Trump in June. Reports suggested that Jill Biden played a significant role in encouraging her husband to run again. In an interview with The Washington Post, Jill Biden expressed disappointment with former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who reportedly did not support Biden’s reelection bid as some Democrats called for him to step aside.
During “The Ingraham Angle,” host Laura Ingraham asked McCarthy about Jill Biden’s involvement. McCarthy stated, “I’ll tell you something about Jill. It’s something I’ve never seen at any other time in the presidency. She was as much the president as Joe Biden was. She would be in meetings you wouldn’t think about. I remember one time I’m sitting back in the dining room and Joe says something about taking us outside. She turns around, ‘No, they don’t wanna go outside.’ She was the protector.”
McCarthy continued, “But this is the problem. She knew his weakness. She knew he wasn’t up for the job, and she kept pushing him because she liked being in the job. How many times did she go overseas to represent him? How many times did she take the travel to represent him when he wasn’t mentally capable of doing it? That’s OK, because Jill would go.”
Ingraham asked McCarthy why Jill Biden would be upset with Pelosi. He responded, “Because Nancy Pelosi took that opportunity. She [Pelosi] pulled the curtain back. But it was only after the whole of America saw it. They all lied the whole time. They would attack me when I would walk out and tell the truth.”
Following Biden’s declining poll numbers after the debate, reports surfaced that Pelosi worked behind the scenes to urge Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. During a July 10 interview on MSNBC, Pelosi declined to publicly support Biden’s reelection. By July 21, Biden announced the end of his campaign, stating it was in the best interest of the party and the country for him “to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term.”
In an August 6 interview, Pelosi denied involvement in Biden’s decision to withdraw, stating that she hadn’t spoken to him since his announcement.
