First Lady Jill Biden Tells Supporters in Columbus That President Biden Is ‘All In’

His campaign on Monday also launched the “Veterans and Military Families for Biden-Harris” initiative, aimed at mobilizing people with ties to the military. The Columbus area is home to Fort Moore, a sprawling military post.

“As commander in chief, President Biden wakes up every morning ready to work for you,” the first lady said. “Because you are the lifeblood of this election. Despite all the talk about this race, Joe has made it clear that he is all in. That is the decision he has made. And just as he has always supported my career, I am all in, too. And I know you are, too, or you wouldn’t be here today.”

The first lady spoke north of downtown at the Bibb Mill Event Center, inside what was once a thriving textile mill on the east bank of the Chattahoochee River along the Alabama border.

Concerns about Joe Biden’s mental health following his recent debate with Trump have prompted some Democrats to ask Biden, who is 81, to step aside.

Gloria Tyson, an Army veteran and Democratic Party organizer in Columbus, introduced the first lady onstage. Asked later whether she thought Biden had addressed the president’s health enough, Tyson said some in the crowd “probably” wanted to hear more.

“But that’s not even necessary. … His cognitive abilities are there,” said Tyson, 67, who runs a child development center.

Another attendee, Louise Hurless, executive director of Columbus Area Habitat for Humanity, said she felt the first lady had said enough to rally support for the president.

“I don’t think you should dwell on things sometimes. If you want to keep moving forward, you have to keep moving forward,” said Hurless, 64, adding that watching the debate “was tough … But everybody has bad days.”

In a speech that lasted about eight minutes Monday night, Jill Biden spoke about the president’s support for veterans programs.

“With four more years, Joe will continue to fight for you, the military community that he and we are honored and proud to call our own,” she said.

She lambasted Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for allegedly calling American soldiers captured or killed in war “suckers” and “losers” during a 2018 trip to France. Trump has denied making the remarks.

“He’s bad,” Jill Biden told the crowd Monday.

She also discussed the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity.

“Our democracy cannot withstand a Trump presidency that leaves virtually no limits,” she said. “The military honors its oath to support and defend the Constitution. We cannot trust Donald Trump to do the same.”

The site of Monday’s event is less than 32 miles southwest of Warm Springs and the Little White House made famous by former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. During the 1944 campaign, first lady Eleanor Roosevelt fervently supported an ailing FDR, who died in April 1945, five months and five days after his reelection.

Earlier in the day in downtown Columbus, some Muscogee County residents were unaware of the first lady’s visit, news of which was not widely reported locally until Saturday evening.

Kim Aguirre, a personal care assistant and likely Democratic voter in November, sat in the shade with a client on a 2nd Avenue sidewalk.

“I feel like we’re in trouble,” Aguirre, 47, said of the general population. “I don’t know if Biden is going to be able to last another four years, given his health and his age. And I’ll be honest with you … I just don’t trust Trump.”

Of the debate less than two weeks ago, Aguirre said: “I watched as much as I could.”

She could not say whether the first lady’s vocal support for her husband’s candidacy would reassure Democratic voters.

“I think everyone is concerned about his health and whether he will be able to last the four years he said he would keep his promises,” Aguirre said.

At a McDonald’s three blocks away on Veterans Parkway, customer Wanda Hall enjoyed a $5 meal: a double cheeseburger with four chicken nuggets, fries and a drink. She knew Jill Biden would be in town later that afternoon.

“They’re trying to make sure they get the Georgian vote back. … Which I hope they do,” Hall said. “Maybe Jill can restore the confidence of some Georgia voters. But I’m not so sure about that right now.”

She believes the first lady was there “simply to try” to do what she could.

“You have to support your husband, but I just don’t see that happening,” Hall said of Joe Biden’s prospects for victory.

“Everything you see — his health, his cognitive abilities — is declining,” she said. “I would rather have him there than Trump, but given his decline, I don’t think he can last another four years.”

Hall, 60, who most recently worked as a convenience store manager, said persuading enough voters to support Biden may at this point be a losing battle.

“Everyone has their own opinion, but everyone can see with their own eyes and hear,” she said.

On the night of the debate, Hall listened to the radio but quickly turned it off.

“I’m sorry, Joe,” she said, as if addressing the president. “I voted for you in the first place. I don’t think I can do it. (…) I don’t even know if I’m going to vote this year.”