Jill Biden Reflects on Family, Living in Political Spotlight, More

[0:01] Now to the new memoir by former First Lady Jill Biden. [0:04] After nearly five decades as a senator's wife, Second Lady, and the First Lady of the United States, [0:10] she is reflecting on her time in the White House in view from the East Wing. [0:15] Well, in it, Mrs. Biden is giving her most detailed account yet about everything that led up to former President Biden's decision to end his bid for re-election. [0:23] She also reflects on her roles as a mother, grandmother, an educator. [0:27] And so she's here to chat with us for a moment. [0:29] It's so nice to see you. [0:30] Dr. Biden, we're so happy that you are here. [0:34] You and I share this sort of rare knowledge of what it feels like, you know, of many things, of living history, [0:41] but also what it feels like to have people we love be publicly criticized. [0:47] And I wonder, as you were writing this, did you worry that any, you know, that that might foster more criticism for your family? [0:56] I didn't worry about that, no. [0:58] I decided to write the book. [0:59] I decided to write about, as you said, you know, my view from the East Wing, my life, what my life was like, my reflections on it. [1:08] And I couldn't be worried about, like, oh, I can't say that because, you know, somebody's going to attack me because it's your truth. [1:16] It's me. [1:17] It's my story, my reflections. [1:19] And you do it in a beautiful way. [1:20] I was just telling you. [1:21] It's a beautiful read. [1:23] It's descriptive. [1:23] It's visual. [1:24] And I'm looking at all these pictures, and I'm looking at the pictures of you and President Biden. [1:28] You guys have been married now for, I think, 49 years. [1:31] 49 years. [1:31] Wow. [1:31] Next year is a big one. [1:33] Oh, my goodness, you've been second lady, you've been first lady. [1:37] You've had all the roles. [1:38] But now, how would you describe this current chapter together? [1:43] I think it's been an interesting chapter. [1:47] It didn't just, it didn't start off as wonderfully as I had imagined. [1:52] I mean, here I was looking through, you know, these travel logs and, oh, we can go here and there. [1:57] And then we get this cancer diagnosis that my husband's stage four prostate cancer that metastasized to his bones. [2:06] And he's doing okay. [2:09] And he's out making, he's making speeches. [2:11] He's traveling on Amtrak. [2:13] So he's still out and about. [2:14] Oh, my gosh, yes. [2:15] Yeah. [2:16] So he's, you know, he was just at the bridge, the Delaware Memorial Bridge for the veterans ceremony. [2:22] So, yeah, he's doing a lot. [2:24] But he's has stage four cancer. [2:27] Yeah, it's a lot. [2:28] I know, and because I read your book, but also because I lived in the White House, [2:34] that you were shocked with this diagnosis just because of how much care the president receives. [2:41] So, you know, from living it, that I had 24. [2:45] 24-hour medical care, Joe had 24-hour medical care, I thought we had amazing, amazing doctors. [2:52] But somehow they missed it. [2:54] And they didn't do the PSA because of, you know, the guidelines said don't do it over 70, and they didn't. [3:03] And so it advanced to stage four. [3:06] Well, our hearts are with both of you guys on that this morning. [3:09] I want to read part of your book. [3:10] A lot of it is about family and motherhood and your role in education. [3:15] But one part that grabbed our attention, you say to me, the mother and son bond might be the strongest connection on earth. [3:23] And you write about Hunter's struggles with drugs and the law. [3:26] What was it like reliving that in the book? [3:28] We've all written books now, and I will tell you, you know, when you get to a part that's so personal sometimes, sometimes it's healing, sometimes it's hard. [3:36] How was it for you? [3:39] Well, you know, in writing that, it was difficult. [3:45] But I have to tell you, in hearing that, I mean, when I had to repeat that in the audio book and I had to say the line, my son was a drug addict. [3:56] I mean, I could not get through it. [3:58] I had to do it again and again. [4:01] They had, you know, pause, pause, because it's just so, it hurts. [4:07] It just hurts. [4:08] And a lot of families who have. [4:11] A lot of families have addiction in their family. [4:14] And I wish I had spoken out about addiction, but having lived through it, it was just so painful. [4:22] Almost too personal. [4:23] Yeah, too close. [4:24] Yeah. [4:24] Yeah, too close. [4:25] You start the book writing about Beau. [4:27] Yeah. [4:28] You know, and you also write that on the day of the election, you went to his gravesite and you finally let these tears that seemed as though you were holding in come. [4:40] What were you thinking in that day? [4:42] Well, you know, I go to the grave often. [4:46] I talk to Beau. [4:47] I mean, you know, Joe's going through this diagnosis and I say to him, Beau, you know, come on, where are you? [4:53] I need you. [4:54] And I talk to him all the time. [4:57] And, you know, I'm sure if you've loved somebody. [5:00] Hello. [5:01] The conversation doesn't stop. [5:03] Yeah. [5:03] And you're constantly saying, you know, just talking things through and, but, you know, my other two children, Ashley and Hunter, have been really supportive through it all. [5:16] And that's how you get through it, right? [5:18] Well, I appreciate, yeah, I appreciate your honesty about it. [5:21] And we've talked about it on the show. [5:22] What you start to realize is, you know, your hurt can be someone else's healing when you talk about it. [5:27] And so even for me when it's pain, I just said that I didn't plan it, but it's the truth, you know, it's like once you write it, you know, I shouldn't need to write that down. [5:37] But I think you realize that there's so many people who are going through things. [5:41] So even when it's uncomfortable or, you know, whether it's addiction or cancer or whatever it is, you sharing can help someone. [5:48] You're also very open about, you know, when the president decided to drop out of the race, you know, and I think there were a lot of people who were saying, you know, why didn't he drop out sooner? [5:57] And if she has his ear, why didn't she talk to him? [6:01] And you talk a lot about how, you know, look, this was his life, this was his journey. [6:04] I would support him, but I allowed him to make his own decisions. [6:08] Talk to us a little bit about, you know, you write about the fact that there was this disconnect between, you say, the Joe that you saw, the world saw, and the Joe that you knew. [6:16] Talk a little bit about that. [6:17] Well, I think that's what was so shocking about that night at the debate. [6:20] I had never seen anything like that. [6:22] Were you freaking out in real time when you saw it? [6:23] Oh, yeah. [6:24] Oh, yeah. [6:25] Because, like I said, I mean, I did think he was having a stroke or some medical emergency, you know, and when we got off the stage, I mean, as you know, as you said, there's a medical team around us. [6:37] And they said, he's okay, he's okay. [6:39] We went on to do actually three events after that. [6:44] And he was fine. [6:45] He was fine. [6:46] And I thought, I hope people don't think, who are watching this, don't think that that's Joe. [6:51] I mean, that's just some aberration. [6:54] And it was a moment. [6:55] And it was a moment. [6:56] And it was so shocking. [6:58] How does he explain it? [6:59] Like, can he say, I don't even know what happened? [7:01] Can he explain it? [7:02] He, you know, he says, Jill, I was traveling, you know, but there is, I don't know what the answer is. [7:09] Like, I don't know that there's a true answer of what exactly happened. [7:14] And really quickly, you talk about it in your book, but what is your, this is my response, when someone says, well, why didn't you tell him to get out sooner? [7:22] What would you say? [7:23] I would say it was his decision. [7:25] I mean, it was his decision to run. [7:28] I didn't weigh in. [7:30] I didn't say, Joe, you have to run. [7:32] The grandkids did. [7:34] But it was his decision. [7:37] I mean, this is something he had to live with the rest of his life, whether to stay in or get out. [7:42] Either way, I said, Joe, I will support you 100%, whatever decision you make. [7:48] And, you know, that, I think, is the beauty of our relationship. [7:52] You know, for 49 years, as you said, he always supported me in my decisions, and then I supported him in his decisions as well. [8:02] Just like when I decided to teach. [8:05] You know, so many people at the White House said, oh, no, you can't teach. [8:08] You can't keep teaching. [8:10] And I said, I'm going to keep teaching, so figure this out. [8:12] I mean, I was not about to give up who I felt I am. [8:18] I mean, I've been a teacher for 40 years. [8:21] And, Jenna, you know you've taught. [8:23] It's part of who you are. [8:25] Yeah, it's part of who you are. [8:26] And I think there's no better job than being a teacher. [8:30] And especially an English teacher. [8:32] Yeah, I mean, I loved every day of it. [8:34] And I still keep in touch with my students. [8:38] You know, I'm a reader. [8:39] I'm a writer. [8:39] I have so many women I mentor. [8:42] I started the women's retention group at my community college to help women to graduation. [8:48] I still want to do that. [8:50] You know, I'm not hanging up my teaching shoes yet. [8:53] And so. [8:53] I saw it as a badge. [8:55] Yeah. [8:55] I mean, and quickly, because they're telling us to get to commercial break. [9:00] No, one of the memories I loved from my time was that I got to show Mrs. Obama and her daughters around the White House. [9:09] It's kind of this rite of passage. [9:10] Yeah. [9:10] You invited Mrs. Trump to the tea, which is a standard thing, and she did not come. [9:18] What would you have said to her if she had. [9:20] You know, every first lady does it their her own way. [9:25] And you know that from your grandmom and your mom, that they did whatever they did. [9:30] They did it their way. [9:32] Yes. [9:32] And so this wasn't Melania's first time in the White House. [9:36] So really, she knew she knew the ropes. [9:39] Yeah. [9:39] So. [9:40] So she chose to do it her way. [9:43] You guys, thanks for watching. [9:44] I know. [9:45] Come join us for all the fun every weekday on NBC. [9:48] And don't forget to take us along when you're on the go. 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