Why Jill Biden joined White House's cabinet meeting, Republicans fume

President Joe Biden held the cabinet meeting on Friday for the first time in nearly a year and Jill Biden joined him in the meeting. It was the first cabinet meeting since October 2, 2023 and as the video of Jill Biden speaking at the meeting emerged, GOP supporters asked why she was there. Jill Biden spoke about a White House initiative on women's health research.
On a question about the escalation of tension between Israel and Lebanon, Joe Biden said, "We're continuing to try to do who we've tried from the beginning. To make sure that both the people in northern Israel, as well as southern Lebanon, are able to go back to their homes and go back safely."
Vice president Kamala Harris was not present at the cabinet meeting as she's on the campaign trail.
Politics watchers expressed surprise at the cabinet meeting as it was held almost after a year and the First Lady was present. Some social media posts made fake claims that Jill Biden was sitting at the head of the table at Joe Biden's place and Biden was not there, though Biden's chair has always been at the center and Biden was there.
"We’re grateful that Jill is here today. I heard that clapping — it wasn’t for me — when we came in," Joe Biden said. "And here, across previous administrations, first ladies have attended these meetings and on — for specific reasons. It’s the first time Jill has joined us. And it goes to show how important the issue is, what she’s about to speak to, to both of us."
"You know, sometimes the White House surprises you. When Joe became president, I knew I wanted to keep shining a light on the issues that I’d worked on for so many years: supporting military and veteran families, ending cancer as we know it with the Biden Cancer Moonshot, lifting up educators, and promoting free community college as a pathway to good-paying careers," Jill Biden said.
"So, last November, Joe and I launched the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. And what has never surprised me about the White House is that when you have a great team, which Joe has in all of you, you can bring about solutions quickly. I’m here, my first time at a Cabinet meeting, to thank you for the incredible progress we’ve made on women’s health research, all in less than a year," Jill said.