'Its time for something new,' the first lady told ABC News' Deborah Roberts
First Lady Jill Biden says President Biden dropping out was the 'right call'
First Lady Jill Biden told ABC News that President Biden dropping his re-election bid was the "right call" during an interview aired on Monday.
First Lady Jill Biden revealed on Monday that she thought her husband, President Biden, made the right call in deciding to drop out of the race.
"It’s time for something new," Biden told ABC News' Deborah Roberts. "It was the right call."
The president announced in late July that he would be ending his re-election bid, following mounting pressure from Democrats and a rough debate performance against former President Trump in June.
"I've had such a great four years," she said. "And Joe and I, I mean really it has been the honor of our lives. It'll be tough to maybe step away from it, but we're starting a new chapter of our lives. A new journey."
First Lady Jill Biden joins ABC News' Deborah Roberts for an interview on "Good Morning America." (Screenshot/ABC)
"We’ve been in politics 50 years. I think we’re ready for the new journey," Jill Biden said.
Following the June debate between Biden and Trump, the first lady told her husband that he had done a "great job," despite a performance that was widely criticized. She told the president on stage during an event that followed the debate, "Joe, you did such a great job! You answered every question, you knew all the facts!"
The first lady told Vogue following the debate that they would not "let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president."
"We will continue to fight," she said, adding that her husband "will always do what’s best for the country."
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US President Joe Biden, right, and former US President Donald Trump during the first presidential debate in Atlanta, Georgia. Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The president's performance during the June debate prompted several Democrats, liberal media figures and more to call on Biden to drop out of the race. President Biden strongly resisted the calls at first, insisting there was no way he would drop out unless he was commanded by the "Lord Almighty."
But he finally succumbed on July 21 and threw his support behind Harris.
The first lady has campaigned for Harris this month in key swing states, including Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Michigan.
She also expressed confidence during the "Good Morning America" interview in Harris' chances against Trump in November.
"There's a lot of energy out there," she said. "Kamala Harris is going to win this, and it's going to be just another chapter for the White House."
Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.
