President Biden professed his admiration for Bill and Hillary Clinton Monday evening after being “trapped” by his wife into giving a speech in New York City — telling the former first lady that “I love you” for defending him in public.
Biden, 81, was not scheduled to give remarks at the Clinton Global Initiative’s summit, but he appeared there to support Jill Biden before being called to the stage himself to accept a Global Citizen award.
“This is what you call being trapped,” Biden said, before proceeding to thank the former first couple.
“Hillary, I want to thank you —and I maybe shouldn’t do this publicly — but thank you personally for the way you have helped me, the way you’ve spoken up for me with such passion. I can’t tell you — you can ask Jill. Anyway, I love you.”
Hillary mouthed back “thank you” as her husband put his arm around her and gave her shoulder a squeeze.
Jill Biden clapped lightly as she looked on.
Biden hailed Bill Clinton for his “decency” and “incredible intellect.”
The Clintons supported Biden after his calamitous June 27 debate against former President Donald Trump, with Hillary tweeting “I’ll be voting Biden,” the day after.
The former first couple stood behind Biden as other leading party leaders pressured him to step aside amid questions about his mental acuity — with that ultimately successful rebellion featuring former President Barack Obama and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the side of the mutineers.
Just a day before Biden caved to mounting pressure and relinquished the Democratic nomination, CNN reported that Bill and Hillary Clinton were urging donors to resume contributions to Biden.
Biden, who visited New York City for this week’s United Nations General Assembly meetings, was introduced on stage Monday by Bill Clinton — who referred to his wife and Jill Biden as “the two doctors.”
Hillary Clinton has a law school degree — known as a juris doctor (JD) — and Jill Biden earned a doctor of education degree in 2007 at age 55.
Jill Biden has taken an increasingly prominent role as her husband prepares to retire and had four public engagements on her schedule in New York on Monday afternoon, including a speech to the Clintons’ summit and remarks to an event on gay and transgender rights and another hosted by USAID and UNICEF.
