In a coded rebuttal against a “sexist” Wall Street Journal opinion piece that belittled her qualifications, Dr. Jill Biden has said that women’s achievements should be celebrated “rather than diminished.”
Early this morning, the incoming first lady wrote in a tweet, “Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished.”
Her comments came days after Joseph Epstein wrote an article for the WSJ in which he offered Dr. Biden “a bit of advice.”
Mr. Epstein, 83, referred to the educator as “kiddo” before going on to suggest that she should drop the “Dr” in front of her name because she does not have a medical background.
He wrote, “Any chance you might drop the ‘Dr.’ before your name?” He added, “‘Dr. Jill Biden’ sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic.”
“A wise man once said that no one should call himself ‘Dr.’ unless he has delivered a child.”
Dr. Biden, the wife of the president-elect Joe Biden, has a bachelor’s and two master’s degrees, and in 2007 she earned her doctorate from the University of Delaware.
In the piece published on Friday, Mr. Epstein went on to criticize Biden’s qualifications, “Between the honorary degrees given to billionaires, the falsely intelligent, entertainers and the politically correct, just about all honour has been drained from honorary doctorates.”
Communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, described the piece as “sexist and shameful.”
Michael LaRosa, Dr. Biden’s transition team spokesman, said the WSJ “should be embarrassed to print the disgusting and sexist attack.”
The opinion piece was also criticized by Northwestern University, where Mr. Epstein was once listed as an emeritus lecturer of English. His page on the university website appears to have been removed.
In a statement, the university said that it is “firmly committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion, and strongly disagrees with Epstein’s misogynistic views.”
On Sunday, the WSJ’s opinion page editor defended the article, saying criticism of it was “overwrought” while accusing Dr. Biden’s team of politicizing what is a “relatively minor issue.”
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