Jill Biden: Doctorate is one of the things I’m ‘most proud of’

Incoming first lady Dr. Jill Biden responded to criticism of her doctorate degree from conservatives in an interview airing Thursday evening on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”

Biden was asked during a joint interview with her husband, President-elect Joe Biden, about several prominent conservative commentators who have made various criticisms about her doctorate degree in education.

“That was such a surprise,” Biden said of the comments. “And it was really the tone of it … you know, he called me ‘kiddo.’ One of the things I’m most proud of is my doctorate.”

TONIGHT! @StephenAtHome sits down with President-elect @JoeBiden and @DrBiden and they respond to the attacks on her doctorate degree. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/HMDGxoaq27

— A Late Show (@colbertlateshow) December 18, 2020

Discussion around the issue erupted last week after a Wall Street Journal op-ed urged Biden to stop referring to herself as “doctor.” The piece also drew criticism from some for using condescending terms like “kiddo.” Other conservatives — including Fox News host Tucker Carlson — joined on in recent days, with Carlson devoting portions of several shows to attacking Biden.

“Jill Biden is not a doctor, no,” he said in one instance. “Maybe in the same sense Dr Pepper is.”

The president-elect also appeared to hold back an urge to respond forcefully to the firestorm surrounding the issue during the interview with Colbert, before joking to the host: “I’ve been suppressing my Irish-ness for a long time.”

Thursday’s joint interview is the couple’s first since Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election last month; his opponent, President Trump, has continued to refuse to concede while filing legal challenges in various states to overturn his defeat.