First Lady Jill Biden Reveals All (Pt 2) Life-Changing Lessons on Fear, Faith, Hardship & Hope

0:00He was diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer, prostate cancer that has spread to his bones. How is he doing right now?

0:11Jill Biden: I think the combination of everything has taken its toll. One of the questions on everyone's mind right now, what his most recent prognosis is. He just had scans. Coming up in this incredible part two episode with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden! I had a feeling you might wear blue. Oh, it's my favorite color. The medications are hard. What is the long-term prognosis that they say? They said... Are you scared? Scared that he's going to die? How are his spirits? stage four cancer really slows you down and i i've seen that um and you know he just doesn't ever get up and say god i feel great today do they say will he need to continue to be on medication forever forever forever that have side effects and that are really difficult yeah yeah they're not god and you know what they don't want to be god and they don't want to be wrong He's always been the strength of our family.

1:25Jill Biden: Do you or him ever cry over it together? No. No. I'm not, well, of course, this interview, you started right in and I started to tear up. But basically, I mean, I am not a crier. A couple of things I have to ask you because people want to know. The moment in the debate with President Biden and now President Trump, you talk about wondering in that moment live, is he having a stroke? or was he drugged? Were there any steps taken after to rule out? I mean, I had so much anxiety about it. Joe and I both had a team of doctors around both of us at all times. And he had a team, I had a team. Were they able to definitively rule out he did not have a stroke that night?

2:13What does your gut tell you happened? That is my honest to God, true answer. And there's no way anyone could have, God forbid, laced his drink or something. Who knows? Who knows?

2:27Jill Biden: Mm-hmm. Right? Who knows? Mm-hmm. President Biden's book comes out in November. Anything, a sneak peek, tease, you can tell us about it. Well, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden made history as the first First Lady to hold a full-time job as a college professor, while also serving in her full-time role in the White House and across the country as our First Lady. She's carried unimaginable tragedies and loss, from losing her son Beau to cancer, to her other son Hunter battling extreme drug addiction, to now President Joe Biden being diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer. And she has a brand new book out called View from the East Wing.

3:14You can get it anywhere books are sold. And it's also on Audible where the First Lady herself reads it to you. And today she's opening up like never before and nothing is off limits. I am so happy you're here and so excited for this conversation we're having together today with First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. The intention of this show is to be a force for good and a force for love. I have guests on that might vote differently or love differently or pray differently from you and me because I believe to help heal humanity through love, we must first understand the humans who make it up. And I am so happy that you are here.

3:55No matter how you vote, how you love, how you pray, you belong here. And whether today you're listening for yourself or because someone shared this episode with you, welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show podcast family. I'd be so grateful if you take two seconds and just hit the subscribe button on the app you're listening or watching on. That way you're going to be the very first to get every inspirational episode. Plus, you can also get weekly inspiration into your inbox from me to you for free. Just join my newsletter at jamiekernlima.com. And thank you so much for sharing this episode with every single person you know who might need some inspiration of their own today or perhaps some hope because we are all in this one life together.

4:38And right now, as the First Lady shares in this episode, President Joe Biden is in the fight of his life, battling stage four cancer. While the First Lady agreed that today no questions were off limits, and so I do ask the most pressing questions so many of us want to know, I also want to ask you to join me in praying for President Biden's health and strength and in praying for and sending love to his entire family during this time. Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show. Oprah, how have you defied the odds? Her show is unlike any I've ever done.

5:23Jill Biden: A revelation. When you listen, it feels like a hug. First Lady Michelle Obama. Jamie, you are going so deep. I have never had this in-depth conversation. I've actually never said that out loud to anybody in an interview before. You know how to get there. Your brain and your spirit and your heart is like, Wow, Melinda French Gates. When I look into Jamie's eyes, I feel like I am on some other cosmic level with her. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex. I wasn't expecting that one. I could see the light around her. She's infused with light. Maria Shriver. I never made that mistake again. Imagine overcoming self-doubt, learning to believe in yourself and trust yourself and know you are enough.

6:14Welcome to the Jamie Kern Lima Show. Jamie Kern Lima is her name. Everybody needs Jamie Kern Lima in their life. Jamie Kern Lima. Jamie, you're so inspiring. Jamie Kern Lima. If Hunter decides to run for office. Oh, my gosh. If Hunter decides to run for president, what would you tell him? What would President Biden tell him?

6:47Jill Biden: You know, I do have a funny answer for that. I would say run. But then you take that how you want to. Yeah. Right. Ah. Ah. So, you know, Hunter's got to find his own path. And whatever he decides to do, and I feel this is true his whole life, I feel it from all our kids. Whatever they decide to do, I mean, our grandkids, our kids, we'll support them. I mean, we will support them 100%. And I felt that same way about Joe. So, you know, a lot of times when he thought about running for president and it was to me, it was kind of unreal and daunting. I thought, I believe in you and I will support you.

7:39And that's how I feel about all my kids and grandkids. Have you and Joe talked about what Hunter's doing and if he would enter politics? No, no.

7:51Jill Biden: You know, this is a tough time, I think, for me and Joe with this cancer diagnosis. And, you know, I don't know if you've ever done any caregiving yourself. But it's another layer of life that is kind of unexpected. I never expected the cancer diagnosis to begin with, nor did he. but then to be you know here I am out on my book tour but every day like in be in my mind is like how's he doing has he eaten what's he doing uh did he take his meds is he is he going to um with his trainer I mean you know it's like you're trying to manage everything all at the same time And so to, it just, you know, Joe and I just really haven't talked about it because our life is so full of just this whole medical part of our lives now is challenging.

9:02I have so many questions about that. And I know you share a lot in your book. I love that even you weave it all through. I'm not going to give away.

9:12Jill Biden: any of it. No, everyone has got to pick the book up. By the way, I want to say this really quick. I love that you read the book and I'm always a little bummed if there's someone I really want to read their book, but they have someone else read it. I understand why people do that. Of course, there's a lot of reasons. I love that you read your audio book because I think everyone right now who's listening, who goes to audible and grabs it. I actually, what I love to do is have the physical copy and listen at the same time. And I like to highlight things. And a really good friend of mine, Pastor John Maxwell, he said once that the first time he reads a book, he highlights it.

9:50He says he always reads every book twice. He says the first time, yeah, he says that when it's really good. He says the first time he reads it, he highlights it. And the second time he reads the book, it highlights him. Oh, I love that phrase. I love that so much. And that's one of the things that I just really want to get across to everyone listening. It does not matter how you feel politically. This is not a political book. It's not a political book. When you read it, you see parts of your own life in this. It highlights you, I believe, no matter what things you've gone through in life, because so many of us can connect to so many of the different topics that you talk about, that you've gone through, how you put your sisters first at the funeral and that there's just so many things, there's so many dynamics you have gone through and experienced that a lot of people are going to, I think, feel less alone in and more enough in when they read.

10:43And I want to ask you about President Biden. And to answer your question, yes, I've definitely, I lost both of my parents who adopted me, one to cancer, my dad, and then And I took care of my mom for about 10 years in and out of the hospital with a lot of illness. And she passed two years ago. And taking care of someone, especially with a serious illness, can be all-consuming. Those of us on the outside that are seeing President Biden pop up at different things and taking the Amtrak to an event this week. And he's out and about and doing everything. But he was diagnosed with stage four metastatic cancer, prostate cancer.

11:26that has spread to his bones. How is he doing right now?

11:33Jill Biden: He's doing okay. Like in that, like you're saying, he takes Amtrak. He goes to make a speech in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. He's constant. I mean, he works every day, but it takes its toll. I mean, there's a different pace to life just because of the medications and the cancer. And it, I think stage four cancer really slows you down. And I've seen that. And, you know, he just doesn't ever get up and say, God, I feel great today. You know, like I get up and say that. You do. But he, you know, he always has, it's always with him. The cancer's always with him. And, um, it's a big change because he was always like a ton of energy and strong and, uh, and, um, that's not there like it used to be.

12:40Jill Biden: But also, you know, he's, he's aging. I mean, we all are, but, um, he's, you know, he's 83. So I think the combination of everything, uh, has taken its toll. I love that you address some of the most difficult or some of the questions people want to know. You really go deep in your book and you explain the behind the scenes of what was going on. You explain why the doctors did certain things. You explain all of it and you take us through what you were going through, what President Biden was going through. You take us on that journey, which I love because so many people just maybe see a quick soundbite in the nightly news.

13:23or they just see something pop up in their Twitter feed. And again, no matter how someone feels politically, it's so easy to just see somebody's version online in two seconds that's feeding your algorithm for whatever reason. And it really is so far from the actual truth of what happened. And so that's one of the reasons I think books are life-changing. And especially, right? Because you just go through that journey and you're able, and I love that people are able to go through this with you. And I know one of the questions on everyone's mind right now as we're sitting here is, of course, how is he doing and also what his most recent prognosis is.

14:06Jill Biden: Well, he just had scans and they were very optimistic. And they, you know, I mean, his PSA is zero, which means that the cancer is not in the prostate anymore. But the medications are kind of daunting and hard, I think. What is the long-term prognosis that they say? They said he probably won't die of cancer. It'll be something else. so they're pretty confident that um they can well the prostate cancer is under control but it's the bones the cancer in the bones that's the scary part but they're saying that he probably won't die of cancer yeah including in the bones it'll be something else well i don't know whether they said in the bones but he won't die of well it's the prostate cancer in the bones okay so um but you know uh i've been through this before yes and doctors won't give you any kind of like if you because you want to know like yeah you know how long is he going to be okay how long is he going to be able to work um he's writing a book how long um well he's almost finished with that but um And it's, they don't tell you.

15:39Jill Biden: They're not God. And you know what? They don't want to be God. And they don't want to be wrong. Right. So no matter how hard you push, you have to kind of go with your own, I don't know, intuition. Do they say, will he need to continue to be on medications? Forever. Forever. That have side effects and that are really difficult. Yeah. Yeah. For sure. How are his spirits? Well, he's like, you know, he's most days he's, you know, pretty good. But like all of us, he has his down days. And when he gets frustrated with not feeling great or so, it's up and down. I've seen every single press outlet ask you about this on your book tour.

16:30And it's probably difficult to talk about. And I think it's also just, I think everyone is curious and wants to know the latest and has so many questions about any time, whether it happens in our own families. Like how didn't we know sooner or how didn't doctors detect it? All of that. Are you scared?

16:56Scared that he's going to die? You're scared with just everything he's going through? Of course I'm scared.

17:06how do you handle it?

17:11Jill Biden: I guess I, it's, I mean, first of all, he's almost 10 years older than I am. Yeah. And with an illness. And, you know, you kind of can't let your head go there. You just can't. I mean, like I said with Beau, and maybe you felt this with your parents, it's like you can't imagine life without them. But you know they're going to die, just like I know I'm going to die. So part of it you accept as the natural, you know, it's, I think probably, and I'm going to put this in your court, probably with your parents, It was so super hard to lose both your parents. But all throughout your life, we've been conditioned as human beings to expect our parents to die before we do.

18:16Jill Biden: But you never expect your child to die before you do. So am I scared that Joe will die? Yeah, I am. but um and it's not something i you know actively think about um but because he's sick uh i don't know he's um he's strong i mean he's he's resilient and uh and some days i say to him you know joe the irony is like going through all this i'm going to be the one to die first God forbid. It's going to be me because you're driving me so crazy. Does he get scared? He's never told me he's scared. No. I don't think he would. I don't think those words would come out of his mouth. Yeah. You know, he's always been the strength of our family.

19:16And I don't think he would allow himself to be that vulnerable. Do you or him ever cry over it together? No. No.

19:28Jill Biden: I'm not. Well, of course, this interview, you started right in and I started to tear up. But basically, I mean, I am not a crier. Joe is a crier, however. And but no, I would not. You know, we can't look at life that way. That's Jamie. We look at it like Joe has cancer. He's going to die. So let's make the most of every moment. Let's be together. Let's find things that bring us joy. Let's make this a positive journey. I mean, not a negative journey, because how can you live with that every day? You can't. It's too heavy. It's too dark. What are your favorite things about your husband? His strength and his steadfastness and his integrity as a person, his faith, all of that.

20:26Jill Biden: And actually, that's why I think he was elected by the American people, because I think they wanted calm, peace, steadfastness. And that's who he's been to our family. I mean, I feel that when he lost his first wife and daughter and I came into his life and raised the boys and then we had our daughter together, Ashley, you know, that family, we worked so hard in building the family with love. and I felt when Joe was making that decision in 2020 to heal to run for president that that's how he was going to heal the nation you know by through love through positive things through doing, through helping people.

21:28Jill Biden: And, um, and I, I think the American people felt that way too. And I think that's one of the things they miss. And they say to me all the time, whether it's walking onto an airplane or, um, most of the time in, uh, in ladies' rooms and airports where women feel like they can come up to me and say everything, or they'll say, do you mind if I take a picture? I'm like, we're in the ladies room. But anyway, I think, I don't know. So we don't look at it. We look at it in a more positive way. You have to. You have to. Would you describe him as a hero in your life? Yeah, I would. Yeah. He was a hero for me.

22:13Yeah. And you're about to be married 50 years? Yes.

22:17Jill Biden: Yeah. It was 49 this June. Yep. Uh, you know, talking about heroes, um, one question I have for you is one day, many decades from now, when someone asks Ashley and Hunter how you were as a mom and how you loved them, what do you hope they say? I hope they say that, I don't know, that life was fun with me. Like I try to make it fun and funny. And, you know, I play pranks on them all the time. And it's, I don't know, it's just part of our, I guess, love language. Yeah. I love that your family, so many of your kids have named their kids, their siblings' names. Yeah, yeah. Like it's all interchangeable.

23:21Yeah. That's really cool how they've all done that. Did you do that as well? No. I named my daughter Wonder. We tried for 10 years to have her and it's a long story. And my son Wilder, now I'm not sure if we should have named him Wilder because he's Wilder. Wilder. He's Wild. He's Wilder than you want him to. It is wild. And then we actually have a 10-month-old, Weston Wynn. Oh, you do? Congratulations. We do, yes. I have three right now. Oh, I'll have to send you some of my children's books. I love it. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, so talking about books, you mentioned Joe's new book. President Biden's book comes out in November.

23:58Anything, a sneak peek, tease you can tell us about it? Well, I think it reflects Joe in the same way that my book reflects me.

24:10Jill Biden: Like, I'm not political. I know people find that hard to believe, but I don't feel that I'm political, and I didn't write a political book. But he's very political, and he's always loved politics. And he's always loved foreign policy and foreign leaders and domestic policy. policy. And so his is more how he felt and how he reflected on different parts of the historical part of his journey, of his four years in the White House. So they're very different books. I heard him say that it's a lot about how he made decisions and why. And I think that's going to fascinate a lot of people. A couple of things I have to ask you because people want to know.

24:57Jill Biden: Are these painful? No, I mean, the moment in the debate with President Trump, the moment in the debate with President Biden, and now President Trump, you talk about wondering in that moment live, is he having a stroke? Or was he drugged? Were there any steps taken after to rule out. Oh yeah. I mean, Joe and I both had a team of doctors around both of us at all times. And he had a team. I had a team. And, uh, as all first ladies and presidents have, and, um, and yeah, they checked him out. I mean, once we got off the stage, I went to the green room to get my pocketbook and all that stuff. And he went to his staff and the docs and, um, and they said, Jill, he's fine.

25:52Jill Biden: He's okay. I mean, I was like, you know, I mean, I was had so much anxiety about it. Like what's wrong? What's going on? But we went on to do three events that night. That same night right after, right? And he did great at all of them. He was fine. That's what's so inexplicable. Like, he was fine. He got up on the stage. You made a speech. We went to the Waffle House. Do you have Waffle Houses out here? They're mostly in the South. And, you know, greeted people. And then we went to North Carolina, got off that plane at 3 o 'clock in the morning. And there's a band playing in the lights and hundreds of supporters.

26:35Jill Biden: and greeted them and they were you know so excited and he went around and shook everybody's hand and the next week or two weeks later he was um doing a conference with NATO it was like such an aberration I just were they able to definitively rule out he did not have a stroke that night well they they did they said no I mean I didn't say to them I when I was writing my book I was reflecting, but I didn't say, God, did Joe have a stroke? I just said, is he okay? Is he okay? And, um, what does your gut tell you happened? I can't figure it out. That is my honest to God, true answer. I don't know. There's so many conspiracy theories online.

27:30Jill Biden: Oh, and it'll go on forever. But you were there. And it will be going forever, I'm sure. And you know him better than anyone on the planet. So still to this day, you don't have a gut instinct on what was that moment. No, I mean, there's all kinds of theories. You know, he had been traveling. I know he was tired. He didn't feel well that day when I saw him. But there was nothing definitive that I could point to. And I had been on the road for two weeks up until that moment. So I wasn't with him. I didn't see him days before, weeks before. I saw him maybe one hour before. And there's no way anyone could have, God forbid, laced his drink or something.

28:17Who knows? Who knows? Right?

28:19Jill Biden: Who knows? This conversation with First Lady Dr. Jill Biden is so incredible. We made it into more than one part. She's truly opening up like never before and sharing lessons that have changed her life and could truly impact and change yours too. You are not going to want to miss this incredible part three of our conversation with First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden. That's coming up in the next episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show. Remember, this episode's not just for you and me. Please share this with every single person that you know, because it can impact and change their life too. And if you loved today's episode, please click the follow or subscribe button for the show on the app you're listening to it on or watching it on.

29:01And if it added value to your life, if you could please give it a rating or review, five stars, really, really good. I'd be so grateful. And again, share it with everyone that you believe in. Share it with another person in your life who maybe could benefit from it or is making a change in their life or carrying grief or just needs hope and inspiration. You can also post the episode and share it with others online or in your community who just might need the words and tools and lessons in this episode today. You never know whose life you're meant to change today by sharing this episode. And thank you so much for joining me today.

29:34But before you go, I want to share some words with you that couldn't be more true. You right now, exactly as you are, are enough and fully worthy. You're worthy of your greatest hopes, your wildest dreams, and all the unconditional love in the world. And it's an honor to welcome you to each and every episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show. Here, I hope you'll come as you are. Heal where you need, blossom what you choose, journey toward your calling, and stay as long as you'd like because you belong here. You are worthy. You are loved. You are love. I love you. And I cannot wait to join you on the next episode of the Jamie Kern Lima Show.

30:15And please note, I'm not a licensed therapist and this podcast is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional.