'I feel so strongly that we could not ask for a better First Lady,' Michelle wrote in her post shared to Instagram on Monday.
Michelle Obama is coming to Dr. Jill Biden's defense.
Last week, an op-ed written by Joseph Epstein and published in The Wall Street Journal argued that Jill should drop "Dr." from her name when she enters the White House with her husband, President-elect Joe Biden. The incoming first lady studied at Brandywine Junior College in Pennsylvania, earning a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees before getting her doctorate in education from the University of Delaware in 2007.
"'Dr. Jill Biden' sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic," the opinion author wrote. "Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title 'Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students’ Needs.' A wise man once said that no one should call himself 'Dr.' unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc."
Now, many are publicly sharing their support for Jill, including Michelle, who took to Instagram on Monday to praise her for all her efforts and being a "terrific role model" to young girls.
"For eight years, I saw Dr. Jill Biden do what a lot of professional women do — successfully manage more than one responsibility at a time, from her teaching duties to her official obligations in the White House to her roles as a mother, wife, and friend," Michelle wrote. "And right now, we’re all seeing what also happens to so many professional women, whether their titles are Dr., Ms., Mrs., or even First Lady: All too often, our accomplishments are met with skepticism, even derision. We’re doubted by those who choose the weakness of ridicule over the strength of respect. And yet somehow, their words can stick—after decades of work, we’re forced to prove ourselves all over again."
"Is this really the example we want to set for the next generation?" she continued, arguing that Dr. Biden gives us a "better" example. "And this is why I feel so strongly that we could not ask for a better First Lady. She will be a terrific role model not just for young girls but for all of us, wearing her accomplishments with grace, good humor, and yes, pride. I’m thrilled that the world will see what I have come to know—a brilliant woman who has distinguished herself in her profession and with the life she lives every day, always seeking to lift others up, rather than tearing them down."
Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, also weighed in on Twitter, writing, "Dr. Biden earned her degrees through hard work and pure grit. She is an inspiration to me, to her students, and to Americans across this country. This story would never have been written about a man."
While Jill has yet to officially respond to the op-ed, it appears she addressed it in a message shared to Twitter Sunday night.
"Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished," her tweet read.
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