Former First Lady Michelle Obama is defending Dr. Jill Biden keeping her title after a controversial op-ed in The Wall Street Journal urged the soon-to-be first lady to stop using “Dr.” in her title.
Obama shared a picture of her with Biden on Instagram and wrote, “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.”
“And right now, 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,” she added.
She continued:
“We’re doubted by those who choose the weakness of ridicule over the strength of respect. And yet somehow, their words can stick—after decades of work, we’re forced to prove ourselves all over again.”
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Then she posed a question, “Is this really the example we want to set for the next generation?”
Finally, she said, “Dr. Biden gives us a better example. And this is why I feel so strongly that we could not ask for a better First Lady. She will be a terrific role model not just for young girls but for all of us, wearing her accomplishments with grace, good humor, and yes, pride.”
Over the weekend, the WSJ published an op-ed that argued Biden should stop using “Dr.” in her title because she is a doctor of education and not a medical doctor.
The column drew criticism on social media.
Biden’s spokesperson claimed that the op-ed was a “disgusting and sexist attack.”
.@jamestaranto, you and the @WSJ should be embarrassed to print the disgusting and sexist attack on @DrBiden running on the @WSJopinion page. If you had any respect for women at all you would remove this repugnant display of chauvinism from your paper and apologize to her.
— Michael LaRosa (@MichaelLaRosaDC) December 12, 2020
Paul Gigot, the editorial page editor, penned an op-ed in response to the criticism and argued the Biden team seized on the article to “use the big gun of identity politics to send a message to critics as it prepares to take power.”
“There’s nothing like playing the race or gender card to stifle criticism,” he added.
He also argued that “the outrage is overwrought because, whether you agree or disagree, Mr. Epstein’s piece was fair comment.”