Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Jill Biden: GOP leaders underestimate the power of women

First lady Jill Biden says Republican leaders have underestimated the power of women and that it's up to Democrats to make sure the GOP doesn't make that mistake again

Darlene Superville
Friday 30 September 2022 17:05 EDT

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Jill Biden told a Democratic women's group Friday that Republicans underestimated the power of women but that, together, they will “make sure that they never make that mistake again.”

The first lady said that when “extremists attack rights that a vast majority of Americans support, like a woman’s right to choose, or when they stand in the way of affordable prescriptions or clean energy, they are letting down all Americans.”

She also said “it makes me angry” to see politicians who “treat government like a sport” and “perform political stunts" to score a few more points against the other side.

“There are no teams to root for or against. Just people,” Biden said at a luncheon during the Democratic National Committee's Women's Leadership Forum's annual conference.

“There are real lives at stake here. You know that, and I know that it makes you angry. It should make you angry," she said. She described new laws enacted by President Joe Biden as “some of the most transformational legislation in generations.”

“And we did it with only 50 votes in the Senate,” the first lady said. “Just imagine what Joe and his administration could do with just a few more partners in the House and the Senate.”

“We could restore women’s rights to make our own choices about our own bodies,” she said, referencing the decision by the Supreme Court's conservative majority to overturn the constitutional right to an abortion, leaving individual states to decide the issue.

“We can’t decide what Republicans do, but we can decide what we’re going to do, and what women do is win,” Jill Biden said. “Women are the reason that Joe Biden is president today and we will decide what happens in November in races up and down the ballot, because we don’t just get angry, we get to work.”

Women voting in 2020 broke for Democrat Biden over Republican Donald Trump, 55% to 43%, according to AP VoteCast.

“Republican leaders have underestimated the power of women, but we’re going to make sure that they never make that mistake again,” she said.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in