Jill Biden pens handwritten note of support after Joe Biden speaks for 1st time since withdrawing from race

First lady Jill Biden is sharing her appreciation for those who have supported her husband, President Joe Biden, and asking that they continue their support by trusting Vice President Kamala Harris to succeed him in the White House.

The first lady posted a handwritten note on X on July 24, expressing her support for Harris’ bid for president now that her husband, and current president, has announced he is ending his campaign for reelection.

“To those who never wavered, to those who refused to doubt, to those who always believed, my heart is full of gratitude. Thank you for the trust you put in Joe—now it’s time to put that trust in Kamala. Love, Jill,” she wrote in the message posted on X on July 24.

The first lady’s words come the same day her husband addressed the nation for the first time since dropping out of the presidential race, opening the door for Harris to square off against Republican nominee Donald Trump.

“It’s been the honor of my life to serve as your president, but in the defense of democracy, which is at stake, I think it’s more important than any title,” he said.

Biden also acknowledged it was time to embrace “new” and “younger voices,” which meant new leadership.

“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” Biden said. “That is the best way to unite our nation.”

The president, just like his wife, also urged Americans to vote for Harris.

“She experienced. She’s tough, she’s capable. She’s been an incredible partner to me and a leader for our country,” he said.

Dr. Biden immediately also showed support for husband and President Biden after he formally announced that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential race.

On July 21, the president, 81, released a statement on social media confirming he will not continue his re-election campaign.

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President. And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term,” he wrote, in part.

He added that he will continue to serve out the rest of his term.

The president said he would share more information with the nation about his decision later this week.

Wife Jill Biden reposted her husband’s message on X and simply added a heart emoji.

She also retweeted his next message — an endorsement for Vice President Kamala Harris.

“My fellow Democrats, I have decided not to accept the nomination and to focus all my energies on my duties as President for the remainder of my terms. My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President. And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats— it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this,” he said.

The first lady has been by her husband’s side during his presidency, expressing unwavering support for him. She has been doing so throughout his political career, as well.

In 1975, Joe Biden, then a Delaware senator, met his future wife Jill Biden after they were fixed up by his brother.

"One day, I was asked on a date from out of the blue, and that evening, a handsome young senator showed up at my door. I took one look at his perfect suit and his leather loafers and thought: well, it’s only one date," Jill Biden said at a fundraiser in 2024.

"One date eventually turned into a marriage proposal," or multiple, she added. The future president famously proposed to Jill Biden five times before they tied the knot in 1977.

Prior to meeting Jill Biden, Joe Biden had been living as a single dad after his wife, Neilia, 30, and their 13-month-old daughter, Naomi, were killed in a car crash a week before Christmas in 1972.

The politician’s young sons, Beau and Hunter Biden, were critically injured.

Knowing that Joe Biden was raising two children on his own, Jill Biden has said that "it wasn’t just my heart on the line" when it came to their relationship.

“After all that his two sons, Beau and Hunter, had lost, I knew that if I said yes to Joe, it had to be forever,” Jill Biden said in her March 2024 speech. “Eventually, I realized that my love for Joe and the boys outweighed any fears I had.”

Joe and Jill Biden completed their family in 1981, when they welcomed daughter Ashley Biden.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com