U.S. President Joe Biden joked with his aides that the secret to a long-lasting marriage is "good sex," according to a new book about First Lady Jill Biden that highlights their 47-year love story. The book titled "The First Lady: A Modern First Lady’s Transformation, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden," written by New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers, is set to be released this week.
The section concerning sex comprises only a few paragraphs in the 276-page book, but it has already made headlines. Rogers wrote that Biden chose not to run for president in 2004, a decision confirmed to his aides when Jill Biden entered the room wearing a shirt that said "no."
Joe Biden, now 81 years old, told a group of supporters that year that he wasn't very interested in running for president. He said, "I’d rather be at home making love to my wife while my kids are asleep." Rogers noted that this comment was met with disapproval from the spokesperson at the time, who stated that then-Senator Biden was "frankly very much in love with his wife."
Rogers added, "Perhaps Joe has toned down his public remarks about his bedroom life since winning the presidency, but he joked with his aides that 'good sex' is the key to a lasting and happy marriage, which greatly displeased his wife."
The book describes the pain Joe Biden experienced when his first wife, Neilia, died in a car accident in 1972 along with their daughter Naomi. Joe and Jill were married in 1977, but he proposed to her five times before she was convinced and agreed. Rogers stated in her book that Biden said during the fifth proposal, "I have been as patient as I can be, but this has made me angry. Either you decide to marry me or it's over – I'm leaving. I won’t ask again."
