Jill Biden Heads to Paris Today... Attending Olympic Opening Ceremony

Jill Biden, wife of U.S. President Joe Biden, will attend the opening ceremony of the Paris Summer Olympics on the 26th (local time) as the head of the U.S. delegation, the White House announced.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed in a briefing on the 24th that Jill Biden will travel to Paris, France, immediately after President Biden's address to the nation that evening.

Spokesperson Jean-Pierre explained that Jill Biden will attend the opening ceremony and other related events as the head of the U.S. delegation. Jill Biden also led the U.S. delegation and visited Japan during the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021.

This Olympic opening ceremony attendance marks Jill Biden's first official schedule since President Biden announced his withdrawal from the presidential race on the 21st. Earlier, there were speculations locally that due to this, Jill Biden, who is 73 years old this year, might not attend the opening ceremony and Vice President Kamala Harris could attend in her place.

The U.S. delegation led by Jill Biden includes Dennis Campbell Bauer, U.S. Ambassador to France, Senators Chris Coons and Alex Padilla, and Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles (LA). Also attending are Casey Wasserman, chair of the 2028 LA Olympic and Paralympic Games, and Olympic gold medalists Brian Boitano and Don Staley.

Major foreign media outlets reported that Jill Biden will also attend a fundraising event in Paris that had been scheduled before President Biden's decision to withdraw from the presidential race.