The importance of visuals shouldn't go unnoticed at the presidential level.
Yet, First Lady Jill Biden's team somehow failed political stagecraft 101 during her visit to a Utah high school this week.
Dr. Biden visited Hunter High School in West Valley City on Tuesday to meet with teachers and students. The First Lady continues to teach at Northern Virginia Community College.
Her podium was adorned with the words “Hunter High,” an unfortunate coincidence given Hunter's addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine.
Dr. Biden expressed her dedication to education and support for her husband's reelection during the event.
The Salt Lake City Tribune noted her appearance came at the end of a fundraising trip to Park City:
Biden praised Utah for having “taken a big step forward in paying teachers what they deserve.”
Last year, the Utah Legislature gave licensed educators a $4,200 pay raise by passing HB215 — which was tied to a controversial voucher bill that gave students an $8,000 voucher to attend private schools. Vouchers are expected to be a topic of debate again in the session that began Tuesday.
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Biden, a longtime educator who continues to teach English and writing as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College, said she recognized the weight that teachers carry — especially as students continue to deal with issues outside school and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Outside school grounds, a small group of people held signs that called for ending U.S. aid to Israel, in front of a line of police and Utah Highway Patrol troopers. A notice had circulated on Instagram calling for demonstrators to stage a “Shut it down! for Palestine” gathering.
