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Who Wears Heels to a Hurricane? Dr. Jill Biden

Tone-deaf doesn't even begin to describe the first lady's wardrobe choice

October 5, 2022

(See update below)

What happened: Joe Biden and Dr. Jill Biden, Ed.D., were photographed outside the White House on Wednesday en route to Florida, where they were to be briefed on the devastation of Hurricane Ian. The president's clothes—chinos, blazer, and sturdy shoes—said, "My wife picked these out for me." And then there's Jill. Her khaki suit and blouse combo said, "Look at me, I'm a doctor." The snakeskin heels screamed, "Who's in for brunch on the taxpayers' dime?"

Why it matters: Mainstream journalists and other partisan Democrats lost their minds when former first lady Melania Trump wore high heels outside the White House before traveling to Houston to survey the damage wrought by Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

• "Melania Trump Wore Stilettos On The Way To Texas And People Lost Their Minds" (BuzzFeed)

• "What Not to Wear to a natural disaster" (Vanity Fair)

• "Melania Trump’s Hurricane Stilettos, and the White House’s Continual Failure to Understand Optics" (Vogue)

• "Melania Trump, Off to Texas, Finds Herself on Thin Heels" (New York Times)

• "Melania's stiletto sideshow" (Politico)

The big picture: The mainstream media treat Democrats and Republicans differently. For example, journalists and other Democrats were outraged after a Wall Street Journal opinion column suggested Jill Biden, who is not a medical doctor, should stop referring to herself as "Dr." Republicans are constantly "under fire," whereas Democrats are almost always the victims when Republicans "pounce" or "seize" on a controversy to attack them.

• "GOP seizes on Biden gaffes to attack competence" (The Hill)

• "Right rips Jill Biden for saying Hispanic community as unique as 'breakfast tacos'" (The Hill)

What they're saying: Joe's crackhead son Hunter Biden called his step-mom Jill a "vindictive moron" and a "selfish silly entitled c—t" in text messages to family members in 2018.

Go deeper: The Jill Biden Guide to Racial Diversity

UPDATE: Dr. Jill was still wearing the same flashy heels after landing in Florida to survey the hurricane damage. (At least Melania had the decency to change into sneakers.) By contrast, Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R., Fla.) wife Casey wore sensible flats.