Presidential historian Douglas Brinkley expressed insights on what may be influencing President Joe Biden’s interest in a second term, citing the First Lady’s ambitions as a potential factor, during a segment on CBS News’ “Face The Nation.”
Brinkley, known for his work “The Unfinished Presidency,” contrasted Jill Biden’s stance with historical accounts of past presidential spouses, referencing how former First Ladies affected the decisions of Harry Truman and Lyndon B. Johnson not to pursue re-election.
Brinkley highlighted that unlike her predecessors, Jill Biden seemingly embraces her role within the administration’s power structure. He mentioned her career as an educator at a community college in Virginia and suggested that the challenges faced throughout President Biden’s tenure have galvanized her resolve to maintain their position in the White House rather than ceding it to potential successors.
“That’s not the case with Jill Biden. She likes power. She wants to stay. She wants some sense of revenge,” he continued. “She teaches in Virginia Community College. This milieu around our building here, this is her home. And the idea of relinquishing it all after you’ve taken the slings and arrows of the last years of attacks, and at the last minute, just when you get all the delegates you’re going to say, I’m going to open it up to a bunch of people — it’s very childish when you read those kind of reports.”