Critics are raising questions over first lady Jill Biden’s constant, taxpayer-funded solo exploits overseas to countries like England, Ukraine, and Kenya, among others.
Ever since President Joe Biden took office, first lady Jill Biden has embarked on a number of “solo” trips overseas without the president by her side.
Recall that former first lady Melania Trump didn’t embark on her first solo trip until 2018, over a year after then-President Donald Trump had taken office.
“First lady Melania Trump has outlined her first major solo trip abroad. During remarks at a reception for United Nations General Assembly leader spouses in Manhattan Wednesday morning, Trump announced she will visit Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Egypt during her upcoming trip to Africa,” CNN reported on Oct. 3rd, 2018.
“Trump, who as first lady has previously only traveled overseas while accompanying her husband, departs for her first-ever trip to the region on Monday, October 1st,” CNN added.
US FIRST Lady Melania Trump arrives in Kenya on the third day of her solo trip to Africa to promote health and education. pic.twitter.com/KagIeA4uYm
— Nation Breaking News (@NationBreaking) October 4, 2018
Conversely, current first lady Biden was out the gate in a finger snap.
“First lady Jill Biden is embarking on a solo Pacific tour Wednesday, leading the U.S. delegation to the Olympics in Tokyo between domestic stops in Alaska and Hawaii,” Axios reported on July 21st, 2021, only months after her husband had taken office.
Numerous trips followed soon after, which might be fine except that they’ve begun to take on a very political nature. According to The Messenger, the first lady’s been using her trips to essentially deliver campaign speeches overseas.
“Biden has visited several countries over the past two-and-a-half years in her capacity as first lady, cheering on American Olympic athletes in Tokyo, secretly meeting with the first lady of Ukraine and attending the Jordanian crown prince’s wedding, as reported by the New York Times,” The Messenger reported Wednesday.
“She has also made quasi-stump speeches in places like Namibia and France, arguing that the president is best suited to steward the United States’ relationships with foreign allies that former President Donald Trump made fraught,” the site added.
Journalist Miranda Devine took note of The Messenger’s article and was bothered by it.
“Is it normal for a First Lady to travel solo on official taxpayer-funded business to so many countries, accompanied by family members who are not POTUS? Now it’s Paris,” she tweeted after the piece’s publication.
Look:
Is it normal for a First Lady to travel solo on official taxpayer funded business to so many countries, accompanied by family members who are not POTUS? Now it’s Paris. https://t.co/EBZk7L7kzD
— Miranda Devine (@mirandadevine) July 26, 2023
Other critics echoed her concerns.
Look:
Grifter in Chief
— Billy B (@BillyBSI58) July 26, 2023
That’s exactly what I was thinking ! … since when does a U.S. presidential campaign have ANYTHING to do with any foreign country ?
— FJB (@FJBdemonrats) July 26, 2023
Of course it’s not but when did the administration ever concern themselves on what’s normal!!
— Ron Brodsky (@brodsky_ron46) July 26, 2023
Why is she campaigning overseas? I thought dems were against foreign interference in our elections.
— Carolyn Bertino (@bertino_ca7673) July 26, 2023
Maybe they think they are the royal family of the US. Very odd.
— Ron Arnone (@224RMA) July 26, 2023
Not paid, not appointed. Uses taxpayer money to travel and make appearances and speeches. Gets paid for same. Never repays taxpayers. Do I have that right?
— kwatz112 (@kwatz112) July 26, 2023
They are RAPING TAX PAYERS karma will catch up with all them-karma comes when it comes at the right moment exactly when one is ready to heed its message-4 every action there is a ripple sent through time. One cannot escape one’s karma
— MarciaMACIAS (@Saicity) July 27, 2023
Overseas? Isn’t her husband running for the of the United States?
— T-Covfefe (@MyPlace4U) July 26, 2023
Dovetailing back to Devine’s tweet, you may have also noticed what she said about the first lady traveling “accompanied by family members who are not POTUS.”
It was a reference to a controversy that erupted earlier this year when the first lady took her grown granddaughter Naomi (Hunter Biden’s daughter) — who reportedly lives at the White House — to Africa.
The controversy became so big Jill was forced to issue a statement defending herself.
“It’s so great for me to be able to bring a member of the family. I think it’s a tradition, or, actually that we’ve seen other families from first families, bring members of their family to just see the rest of the world and just experience the world,” she said.
Let’s see Naomi Biden lives in a $400m White House for free and now travels for free! In Africa will Jill biden. pic.twitter.com/UDCfoMsarp
— Katy (@JustGma3) February 22, 2023
But her remarks did little to quell the criticism.
“I find it odd that they have a married granddaughter who is 29 living in the White House on taxpayer dime. Why is she and her husband not living in their own place?” one critic tweeted.
“Living large on taxpayer dollars while Americans scrape to get through the month,” another added.
The first lady did it again last month when she traveled to Egypt with her daughter Ashley and sister Bonny Jacobs by her side:
The first lady has also faced backlash for using her trips abroad to preach globalism.
“Of course, we need to take care of our own citizens, but we’re also a part of the global community,” she said while in Paris this week.
Listen:
Jill Biden, Ed.D.: “Of course we need to take care of our own citizens, but we’re also a part of the global community” pic.twitter.com/G2Nk75QOny
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) July 25, 2023
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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