First Lady Jill Biden will appear as the cover star of Vogue Magazine for the August issue, coinciding with the start of the election season in the United States, just days after experts described President Joe Biden's performance in the first presidential debate as weak. Biden was photographed by veteran fashion photographer Norman Jean Roy, wearing an ivory silk suit by Ralph Lauren. The accompanying text by Maya Singer from Vogue mentions that she accompanied the First Lady during two campaign stops in April in Minnesota. One stop was to speak to the "Women for Biden-Harris" coalition in Minneapolis, and the other was to address "Teachers for Biden-Harris."
"Every campaign is important, and every campaign is hard,” shares Dr. Jill Biden, Vogue’s August cover subject. "Whatever happens between now and November, it is Jill Biden who will remain the president's closest confidant and advocate."
After the first presidential debate between Biden and former President Donald Trump, moderated by CNN on June 27, Biden's advisors told the network that his family continued its steadfast support in the effort to re-elect him. Vogue also spoke with the First Lady after the debate amid calls for Biden to step down as the Democratic candidate. The First Lady stated, “We won’t let those ninety minutes determine the four years he has spent as president. We will keep fighting.”
Over the past four years, Biden has taken on her role as First Lady through a hands-on approach. Earlier this year, the White House announced a significant new initiative to fund research on a range of under-studied women's health issues, including endometriosis and heart disease. As an English professor at Northern Virginia Community College, the First Lady has called for increased school funding, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic strained school systems and left educational gaps.
Biden's style often reflects her practical fashion sense, favoring tailored outfits, classic coats, and American designers. She often wears pieces designed by Sergio Hudson, Michael Kors, and Ralph Lauren. After wearing a blue suit with purple undertones in the presidential debate, the First Lady followed that appearance with a black dress adorned with white writing by Christian Siriano at a rally in North Carolina the following morning, aimed at energizing voters. Her look clearly conveyed her message, with the word "VOTE" embellished throughout the dress.
Regardless of how the political path unfolds, it is certain that the First Lady will play a key role in the President’s decisions. In the Vogue cover story, political journalist and author Katie Rogers noted that the First Lady may not be considered one of the President's primary advisors, but she is "one of his closest allies."
