Former first ladies defend Jill Biden after op-ed says to drop doctor title from name
Two former first ladies defended incoming first lady Jill Biden after an op-ed criticized her use of the doctor title.
The opinion piece, published Friday in The Wall Street Journal, drew considerable backlash over the weekend for suggesting Biden, who has a doctorate in education, drop the “Dr.” honorific because she is not a medical doctor.
“Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter,” Joseph Epstein, the author of the piece, wrote. “Any chance you might drop the ‘Dr.’ before your name? ‘Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.”
On Monday, former first lady Michelle Obama defended Biden in a post on her Instagram.
“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,” Obama wrote along with a photo of the two of them.
She went on to say “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,” the post read. “We’re doubted by those who choose the weakness of ridicule over the strength of respect.”
Biden taught at Northern Virginia Community College, where she is a full-time English professor, during her eight years as second lady. She plans to continue teaching when she moves into the White House in January, which would make her the only first lady so far to work full time while living there.
Former first lady Hillary Clinton also responded to the op-ed Sunday on Twitter.
“Her name is Dr. Jill Biden,” she wrote. “Get used to it.”
Paul Gigot, who is responsible for The Wall Street Journal’s opinion section, defended the op-ed, NPR reports. He wrote his own piece in which he called the flood of criticism sparked by the op-ed a “political strategy.”
Critics were quick to respond to the original opinion piece.
Kate Bedingfield, President-elect Joe Biden’s communications director, called it “patronizing, sexist, elitist drivel.”
Doug Emhoff, husband of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and incoming second gentleman, tweeted about the op-ed Saturday, saying it “would never have been written about a man.”
“Dr. Biden earned her degrees through hard work and pure grit,” he tweeted. “She is an inspiration to me, to her students, and to Americans across this country.”
Northwestern University, where Epstein wrote he taught for 30 years, issued a statement about his piece.
“We do not agree with Mr. Epstein’s opinion and believe the designation of doctor is well deserved by anyone who has earned a Ph.D., an Ed.D. or an M.D,” the statement said.
Jill Biden also tweeted seemingly about the op-ed Sunday.
“Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished,” she wrote.
This story was originally published December 14, 2020 at 1:21 PM with the headline "Former first ladies defend Jill Biden after op-ed says to drop doctor title from name."
