First lady Jill Biden to Philly donors: ‘Let’s talk about age’

First lady Jill Biden told a room of Philadelphia donors she knew what they were thinking.

“I know what’s on your mind, so let’s talk about age this election,” Biden said to about 100 guests at a private fundraiser Monday night in Chestnut Hill. “This election’s not about age. Joe and the other guy are about the same age. This election is about character, wisdom, and ability.”

President Joe Biden, who is 81, faces ongoing scrutiny over his age and ability to serve another term as he prepares to debate former President Donald Trump, 78, on Thursday in Atlanta. The high-stakes meeting of two presidents will be the first time in four years that both have been in the same room. For Biden, who has been sequestered at Camp David preparing, it’s an opportunity to disprove concerns about his fitness for the job. As Republicans and conservative media outlets have amplified video clips to raise doubts over his acuity, Biden surrogates have been fanning out across the country ahead of Thursday.

The first lady made several stops in Pennsylvania over the last week. She spoke about abortion during appearances in Lancaster and Pittsburgh over the weekend.

And at the Philadelphia fundraiser, hosted by supporters Jen and Greg Case at their home in Chestnut Hill, she described her husband as “the strong, steady one, always unflappable, always unflinching, and through highs and lows of our country and this world — a pandemic, an assault on the Capitol, war — he is that same steady leader.”

The fundraiser, which also featured a performance by singer-songwriter Carole King, brought in $450,000 for the Biden reelection campaign, according to Mike Gerber, a former state representative and cochair of the event.

Democratic U.S. Reps. Madeleine Dean and Brendan Boyle, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, and former Gov. Ed Rendell attended.

The first lady, who grew up in Montgomery County, leaned into her upbringing in her brief remarks. “I love coming to Philadelphia for events because you’re the only ones who understand my accent,” she said. The daughter of a Navy veteran and stepmother of the late Beau Biden, a former Army officer, she said Trump’s disparaging comments about service members, “really gets my Philly up.”

She told the crowd of supporters to remember the feeling they had the morning after Trump won in 2016.

“Remember how you woke up and you said to yourself, ‘Oh, my God, what just happened?’ We can’t let that happen again.”