*Jill sits down with Rita Braver for an exclusive interview at Camp David! Enjoy! ⛺️*

December 12th, 2021

Correspondent Rita Braver visits with Dr. Jill Biden for a rare interview at Camp David, The First Lady talks about adapting to life in the spotlight; polls questioning her husband's mental fitness; working to unify the country; becoming a mother again the president having to cut a free community college provision from his Social Safety Net bill and many other topics!

Rita Voice Over: "I am at Camp David where the President and First Lady spend a lot of time with family, close friends and each other! We are at the Rosebud cottage."

Jill walks into the room and shakes hands with Rita before giving her a quick hug

Rita: "Hello, Dr. Biden! Or as I should say hello First Lady Biden!"

Jill smiles ear to ear at Rita

Jill: "You can just call me Jill, Rita! It is so nice to see you! I am so sorry Joe couldn't be here, he is stuck in meetings today."

Rita: "It is no problem! I will definitely interview you two again! Let's take a seat and chat!" 

Jill: "Okay, let's chat!"

*Jill and Rita sit down in their chairs and get ready for the interview*

Rita Voice Over: "The First Lady is a busy woman, with being the First Lady, traveling across the United States to help promote the administrations work, to being a English teacher at Northern Virginia Community College, a mother to a four month old and a grandmother."

Rita: "Thank you for having this interview with me today. I know you are very busy woman now a days!" 

Jill: "It is no problem! And I have been looking forward to this actually!"

Rita: "So the first question I'm going to ask is were you prepared for what it's like to be the First Lady?"

Jill: "I think it's a little harder than I imagined. It's not like a job that you do, it's a lifestyle that you live and it's not something you leave at 5 o'clock or 3 o'clock. It's twenty four hours a day."

Rita: "I think a lot of people would find it hard to believe that you don't get frustrated when you feel that Republicans are really trying to block the President's agenda."

Jill: "He keeps working at it. He is an eternal optimist, and he keeps working. Rita, like almost twenty four hours a day at creating relationships with Republicans as well as Democrats. To push his agenda forward. It's that important."

Rita: "Does he ever come home and say to you "These such and suches. I can't believe what they're doing."

*Jill and Rita both laugh*

Jill: "Well, he might make a disparaging remark once in a while but I'm telling you, he believes, as he always has, he's always worked with both sides of the aisle and that is what he will continue to do."

Rita: "Was it hard to hear that the President dropped free community college tuition from his proposed Social Security Net Bill?"

Jill: "No, I understand compromise. And I knew
this was not the right moment for it. But
that doesn't mean it might not get passed
somewhere down the future."

Rita: "Recent polls have shown that Americans are questioning about the President's mental fitness. How do you feel about that?"

Jill: "I think that's ridiculous. It's just ridiculous. We can show a piece of paper from a physician that says he is healthy and mentally fit to be a president and it's still not good enough."

Rita: "How are your grandchildren doing? We have seen them grow up over the years."

Jill: "They are all doing great! Naomi recently got engaged to an amazing man, Finnegan and Maisy are both working while finishing college, Natalie and Hunter are both in high school and baby Beau is just a little rambunctious toddler who is a lot of fun! Ashley's girls are growing so fast as well! We all had a wonderful Thanksgiving together in Nantucket and we will all celebrate Christmas together at the White House."

Rita Voice Over: "As we take a drink and a chit chat break during the interview, the First Lady and I begin to hear little cries coming from a room close by."

Rita: "Aw, I think I hear some little cries coming from a room back there."

Jill: "Jacob must be waking up from his nap. Excuse me, I have to go check on him. I'll be right back!"

Rita Voice Over: "Jill, the hands on mother she is, leaves the room to check on her miracle little boy."

Rita Voice Over: "Back in August, the First Lady and the President welcomed their second child together, a son named Jacob Francis Beau Biden. Jacob after the First Lady's maiden name, Francis after the President's younger brother who brought the couple together and Beau is after the First Lady and President's late son, Former Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden."

Rita Voice Over: "Ten minutes later, Jill is back to finish the interview and is joined by a little sidekick, her almost four month old son, Jacob."

*Jacob's outfit with matching pants*

Jill: "Let's finish talking with Miss Rita! Yes! Let's go! Let's go!"

Jacob babbles happily as Jill holds him in her arms.

Jill: "I'm sorry about that! Four months sleep regression is hitting Jacob really hard and he doesn't sleep good! Right, baby? You haven't been sleeping the best."

Rita waves and smiles at Jacob.

Rita: "It is no problem! He must have known we were going to talk about him next!"

Jill chuckles and kisses Jacob's cheek as Jacob sits in her lap.

Rita: "Hello, Jacob! You have gotten so big since the last time I saw you!"

Jill: "Oh, he has had a big growth spurt! He eats constantly I feel like, which is a great thing since he was sick a few weeks ago. Say hello to Miss Rita! Hi!"

Jill waves Jacob's little hand and Jacob giggles. Rita smiles and waves at Jacob again.

Rita: "He is a little cutie pie!"

Jill: "He sure is! Everyone says he looks like me but I see a lot of Joe in him."

*Jill kisses Jacob's cheek*

Rita: "Your little sweater is adorable, Jacob!"

Jill: "Aw, thank you! Our grandson Hunter got it for him so I wanted him to wear it during our interview today if he made an appearance!"

Rita Voice Over: "A few weeks ago, Jacob was admitted into Walter Reed hospital and diagnosed with RSV. He stayed in the hospital for a few days before coming home."

Rita: "How is Jacob feeling and doing now since leaving the hospital?"

Jill: "He is doing absolutely wonderful! He still has a little cough, but a cough usually stays the longest during a sickness! However, he is a happy little man now!"

Rita: "He looks very very happy!"

Jacob coos as he plays with his Winnie the Pooh stuffed animal and drops it.

Jill: "Uh oh! Here is your Winnie the Pooh! Here it is! This is favorite toy right now by the way. Kamala got it for him when he was born."

Rita: "Speaking of Vice President Kamala Harris, the media often talks about you two's relationship. The media says one day you guys hate each other, the next day you guys are hugging. Are you and Kamala close? What is this truth?"

Jill chuckles at Rita

Jill: "I find it funny how the media thinks of our relationship. First off, Joe wouldn't have picked her as his Vice President if I didn't like her. Did Kamala and I disagree on some things during the early democratic debates? Absolutely we did! But we got past that and we got to know each other as people and now we are very very close. I treat her as if she is my daughter and she treats me like a mother figure."

Rita: "So you guys are basically like family and don't hate it each other?"

Jill: "Yes! We are very much a family. And no, we don't hate each other. Kamala and Doug are both invited to our family functions and we spend a lot of time together! To Joe and I, Devi is our grandson. Kamala and Doug asked us to be his grandparents before he was born and we absolutely accepted. Devi will call me Nana and will call Joe Pop just like our grandchildren do. Joe and I are getting close to Doug's older children Cole and Ella as well. It's beautiful really."

Rita: "Are Devi and Jacob baby friends? I see pictures of you and the Vice President have posted online and they are so adorable!"

This picture is shown on the screen of Jacob and Devi

Jill: "Well, they are both four months old, so I don't think they are friends just yet but I do think as they grow up together, they will be very close friends and even like brothers! They are four days apart in age so their relationship is going to be extremely special."

Rita: "Speaking of Jacob's birth, I am sure you have been asked this question a lot, but how did you not know you were pregnant with Jacob?"

*Jill chuckles*

Jill: "You know it's funny, a lot of my friends and colleagues have asked me "how did you not know you were pregnant? You were pregnant before, you know the signs and symptoms." And yes that is very true but that was also over forty years ago. Sorry Ashley for aging you on TV I'm sure she is going to call me after this airs! Anyway, when you are my age, you just don't think about pregnancy anymore because it just doesn't happen. As I look back on the time I was pregnant with him, I did have some back pain and I was a little more tired than I usually was but I contributed those two things to my age and for campaigning 24/7 for two years."

Jill chuckles and Jacob giggles

Jill: "Is Mama so funny, Jakey? I am funny, huh?"

Jill kisses Jacob's cheek and Jacob smiles

Rita: "Will Jacob call you Mom, Mommy, Mama or something else?"

Jill: "Beau and Hunt both called me Mom while Ashley called me Mommy growing up. Joe keeps calling me Mama to Jacob, so let's see if he will say that or Mommy. Either term is perfectly fine to me."

Jacob coos as he looks up at Jill and Jill smiles down at him.

Jill: "Hi! I forgot to fix your hair some! Oh well, it isn't a big mess."

Rita: "What did your children and grandchildren think about Jacob when you and Joe told them about him?"

Jill: "Hunter and Ashley were both really really shocked when Joe and I told them about Jacob. They both couldn't believe that Joe and I had a baby at our ages! However, Hunter and Ashley both love Jacob so much. When they both come to visit us, they spend a lot of time with Jacob and I can tell Jacob loves Hunter and Ashley very much already. Jacob also loves Beau's wife Hallie as well. As for our grandchildren, they were a little confused about how I could have had a baby but once the confusion was over, they all fell in love with Jacob. I told them that they didn't have to call him Uncle Jacob since he is younger than them, so to our grandchildren he is just Jacob."

Rita Voice Over: "Jacob began to get bored and fussy, so we decided to change the scenery for him and we began to walk around Camp David."

Jill: "Okay, Jakey! Let's go!"

*Jacob babbles happily*

*Imagine Jill is pushing Jacob in his stroller*

Jacob coos and babbles in the stroller causing Jill to smile.

Jill: "Jacob loves being outside! He loves the sights and sounds of nature! Joe or myself try to take him for a walk everyday."

Rita: "Are you having fun, Jacob?"

Jacob babbles and smiles up at Rita

Rita: "What are some fun nicknames you call Jacob?"

Jill: "Oh, so so many honestly! Jakey, JJ, Baby Boy, Bubs! But I call him Jakey and baby boy the most."

Rita: "Has anyone asked you if you and the President would have another baby?"

Jill: "SO MANY PEOPLE! And I can understand it to an extent but come on now! I had an emergency hysterectomy right after Jacob was born so I can't have anymore children and Joe and I are very content with just our little guy."

Rita: "So you and the President were actually here when you were in labor with Jacob?"

Jill: "Yes! We were finishing our little family vacation here last summer and the last night here I began to feel stomach pains. I just thought it was because of what Joe and I ate because it was really spicy. But nope! It was contractions and I had no idea!"

Jill chuckles and Jacob babbles

Jill: "Yeah! I'm talking about you! You were almost born here, bud!" 

Rita: "The President met Jacob first after he was born?"

Jill: "Yes. Right before the surgery they told me what was happening and before I could even process it, I was put under for the surgery because I was bleeding internally. Luckily, they got Jacob out just in time and he is perfectly fine and healthy and I am healthy as well. Joe came to the hospital an hour after everything happened and I was still under from the surgery and he was told about Jacob and met him before me."

Rita: "We're you shocked to have had a baby at your age?"

Jill: "I was shocked, I was scared and I was worried. I was shocked because I was pregnant and had no idea. I was scared because I could have died and Jacob could have died as well. And I was worried because I had no prenatal care with Jacob so I was worried that he wasn't healthy. Thank goodness Jacob is healthy and is just like any other baby!" 

Jacob babbles as he kicks his little legs

Rita: "You are the star of the interview, aren't you Jacob?"

Jacob smiles at Rita

Jill: "And that's perfectly fine with me! I know Jacob is very loved by many people so I want everyone to see him."

Rita Voice Over: "Please check out CBS Sunday Mornings YouTube channel for more exclusives with the First Lady!"