In a Good Morning America interview on Monday, first lady Jill Biden touched on her and President Joe Biden’s time in the White House and his decision to drop out of the 2024 presidential race earlier this year.
“I’ve had such a great four years,” the first lady told ABC News’ Deborah Roberts during a new White House tour. “I mean really, it has been the honuor of our lives. It’ll be tough to maybe step away from it, but we’re starting a new chapter of our lives. A new journey.”
“We’ve been in politics for over 50 years. I think we’re ready for the new journey,” she continued. “It was the right call.”
Biden announced in July that he was dropping out of the race. The move came after months of him publicly rejecting the idea of ending his campaign despite allies and voters voicing concerns over his age and mental acuity, particularly after his poor performance in the June presidential debate with former President Trump.
“It has been the greatest honour of my life to serve as your President,” he said in a letter announcing his decision. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”
The first lady’s remarks on Monday came after the president joked with reporters earlier this month about reentering the presidential race, and days after Trump suggested that Biden should reenter the race and Vice President Harris, who became the Democratic nominee, should drop out and be investigated.