Aug 19, 2020 - Politics & Policy

Jill Biden praised for DNC speech saying husband will make U.S. "whole"

Rebecca Falconer

In this screenshot from the 2020 Democratic National Convention, Jill Biden addresses from a classroom the virtual convention on August 18 — A screenshot from the Democratic National Convention of former second lady Jill Biden in an empty classroom at Brandywine High School in Wilmington, Del., on Tuesday. Photo: Handout/DNCC via Getty Images

Jill Biden said in her speech at the Democrats' virtual convention Tuesday night from a Wilmington, Del., school at which she once taught that Democratic nominee Joe Biden would bring the U.S. "together and make us whole."

The big picture: She spoke of the grief her husband had faced, with him losing his first wife and infant daughter in a car crash in 1972 and his son Beau to brain cancer in 2015. But she said his "strength of will is unstoppable" and his faith "unshakable," adding that "his faith is in you — in us." Trump loyalist Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) joined Democrats and others in praising Jill Biden for her personal speech.

"How do you make a broken family whole? The same way you make a nation whole. With love and understanding-and with small acts of compassion. With bravery. With unwavering faith."

— Jill Biden

This week's convention has seen speeches from four prominent Republicans, including former Ohio Gov. John Kasich, and Cindy McCain recorded a video message paying tribute to an "unlikely friendship" forged between former Joe Biden and her late husband, Sen. John McCain.

What they're saying: "Tonight, Jill Biden did a very good job representing herself and Joe in the causes they believe in," Graham tweeted. "She’s an outstanding person who has led a consequential life."

Of note: Graham has been friends with the Bidens for years. However, Joe Biden said in February of Graham's unwavering support of President Trump, "I don't know what happened."

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Jill Biden praised for DNC speech saying husband will make U.S. "whole"

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