Although President Biden was the only person actually speaking at his State of the Union address, first lady Jill Biden spoke volumes without ever saying a word. Dr. Biden sat in the Capitol gallery, along with her special guest, Oksana Markarova, the Ukrainian ambassador to the U.S. (via New York Post). According to AP News, “Tradition holds that the first lady invite guests who help personify policies and positions that are important to the administration.” Markarova’s presence with Dr. Biden was a strong statement of support for Ukraine in the midst of its fight against the Russian invasion — a support that President Biden echoed in his speech.
As Dr. Biden and Markarova embraced before sitting down, Twitter burst into commentary. Of Jill’s deep royal long-sleeved dress, one user tweeted, “Did y’all see FLOTUS Jill Biden’s blue dress? It’s beautiful.” Another wrote, “Now THAT is a First lady @FLOTUS.”
Others compared this year’s speech, and administration, to the previous one. A Twitter user mused, “Yesterday we had Covid and masks. Today @FLOTUS hugs the Ukrainian ambassador.” A second one took a jab at former first lady Melania Trump, saying “Melania would have asked [Markarova] to kiss her … ring” (via Twitter).
