Jill Biden revealed that husband Joe Biden and longtime colleague Nancy Pelosi worked out their differences stemming from the 2024 election while attending Tatiana Schlossberg‘s funeral.
The former first lady, 74, said in a Tuesday, June 2, interview with the Wall Street Journal that the former president, 82, went to shake Pelosi’s hand while in the church as part of the “sign of peace” ritual of a Catholic Mass. (Schlossberg, who is the daughter of Caroline Kennedy, died in December 2025 following a battle with cancer.)
Jill, for her part, shared that she did not partake because she did not see the former Speaker of the House.
“I haven’t actually seen her to make up with her or not make up with her,” Jill explained. “I didn’t even see her in the church.”
Joe and Jill’s relationship with Pelosi was strained during the 2024 election. While Joe was running for reelection, many voters and members of the Democratic party expressed concerns over his health and well-being after his performance in a debate against Donald Trump. While Pelosi was supporting Joe, she also had her concerns about his chances in the race.
“I think it’s a legitimate question to say, is this an episode, or is this a condition? And so when people ask that question, it’s completely legitimate — of both candidates,” Pelosi said in an July 2024 interview with MSNBC. “Both candidates owe whatever test you want to put them to, in terms of their mental acuity and their health — both of them.”
Following her appearance, Pelosi’s rep released a statement saying that the congresswoman “has full confidence in President Biden.”
Pelosi reportedly provided Joe data about his chances. Joe ultimately exited the race and his vice president, Kamala Harris, took over the campaign. Harris ultimately lost to Trump.
Looking back on it now, Jill doesn’t want to “sound defensive about things that happened in the White House.”
“Should we have reacted more? I mean, is that a lesson I’ve learned as I look back? Maybe,” she recalled to the outlet. “Maybe I should have spoken out a little more, but I don’t know.”
After Trump took office, Joe was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Jill explained that her husband’s condition served as inspiration to let the past go.
“That’s what I’ve learned through this cancer diagnosis,” she said. “Life’s so short. Why live with the anger and the pain of it all? I mean, move on. Let’s move on.”
