"Prayer Gives Me Hope," Says Joe Biden as He & Dr. Jill Settle Into the White House | The Experience Has Been "Surreal"

Since taking the presidential oath on January 20, 2021, the 46th US President Joe Biden has started working from his Oval office by putting his signatures to executive orders, whether it's regarding COVID-19 or transgender rights.

In his first interview since occupying the office, President Biden sat down with the first lady Dr. Jill Biden and spoke about the nation's problems but noted that we have "enormous opportunities" as well. They also spoke about their grandchildren, marriage, and faith, as per People.

When asked if the White House has started feeling like home, Biden said that even though the transition has been "surreal" it's been "comfortable." Recalling the eight years he spent in the Cabinet Room and the Oval during the Obama-Biden presidency, the 72-year old added that except the private family quarters that is "new" to the couple, everything else felt the same. Dr. Jill said, "The residence staff has been so great, trying to make it feel like home for us."

The First Lady also revealed that she's gone back to teaching at the Northern Virginia Community College where she used to teach even when she was a second lady. "It's been busy. But it's been so many different things, so many different areas, and Joe's been working hard on foreign policy and of course his new [COVID relief] plan," she said. "And so we have a lot to do - but we have a lot ahead of us and we feel good about it."

Even though there were reports that the Biden administration would be joined by Biden's sister Valerie, the President cleared all doubts as he said, "No one in our family and extended family is going to be involved in any government undertaking or foreign policy. And nobody has an office in this place." Previously, Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner held White House jobs during the Trump administration.

During the interview, the first couple spoke about their 43 years of successful married life as well, where Biden said that "sometimes you have to be 70/30" in a marriage instead of 50/50 and step up when one of the significant others is down. "We each could do our jobs, but not as well as we do them," he added. When he said that the couple does experience fights and arguments once in a while, Dr. Jill chimed in, "Well, after 43 years of marriage there's really not that much more to fight about."

Talking about how his new responsibilities haven't averted him from his faith, the President said, "My religion, for me, is a safe place. I never miss mass, because I can be alone." Noting how faith changes according to different people, he continued, "Other people may meditate. For me, prayer gives me hope, and it centers me." He concluded by saying that he hopes that within a year, the country will have "fundamentally returned to normal as it relates to COVID."

His television interview with CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell will be aired at 4 p.m Sunday on CBS before the Super Bowl. The first pre-Super Bowl interview and appearance was made in 2004 by then-President George W. Bush. Biden is following the 20-year-old tradition of commanders-in-chief sitting for interviews during the biggest football night.

References:

https://people.com/politics/joe-jill-biden-first-white-house-interview/