‘My scrunchie made national news’: Jill Biden speaks out about pressures of being First Lady

US first lady Jill Biden has said that nobody can be prepared for the immense public pressure of being the president’s spouse.

Dr Biden, a longtime English professor who has been married to President Joe Biden for 44 years, said she “never imagined” she would face such scrutiny and controversy over minor sartorial choices.

Her hair, for example, briefly became a national talking point in February when she held it back with a scrunchie while shopping for cupcakes in Washington DC.

In a speech paying tribute to Barbara Bush, who was first lady to George HW Bush between 1989 and 1993, Dr Biden said: “Like Mrs Bush, I spent a lot of time at the White House when Joe was vice president. But there’s nothing that can prepare you to be first lady....

“We aren’t elected. We have to define this role ourselves. We are thrust into the national spotlight in a way I know none of us could have anticipated.

“A few months ago, I went to a bakery to buy Valentine’s Day cupcakes and the fact that I wore my hair up in a scrunchie made national news. Can you believe that? I was so surprised.

“As first lady, everything you say or do carries more weight. And while that can be intimidating at times, it’s also what makes this role special.”

It comes after a poll placed Dr Biden as the seventh most popular first lady out of twelve, eclipsing Melania Trump, Richard Nixon’s wife Pat Nixon, and Hillary Clinton in her old role as first lady to Bill Clinton.

In an online survey by Zogby Analytics, statistically adjusted to reflect the demographics of the US population, 65 per cent of likely voters rated Jackie Kennedy as “great” or “near great”, with Michelle Obama in second place with 51 per cent and Nancy Reagan close behind with 50.

“First lady” is a title traditionally accorded to the wife of the serving president, who has no formal powers but sometimes wields great influence while serving as a lightning rod for criticism of the administration.

If Vice President Kamala Harris were to become the first female president, her husband Doug Emhoff would become the “first gentleman”, but this has never happened yet.

Dr Biden has continued teaching English via Zoom during this year, making her the first presidential spouse to maintain another job during the president’s term.

Yet just as Melania Trump was painted by her husband’s critics as a symbol of his presidency’s faults, Dr Biden has already come under frequent attack.

She was criticised last December for using the title “Dr”, referring to her PhD rather than a medical qualification, and in April for wearing patterned diamond-patterned tights that opponents characterised as fishnets.