U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden await the arrival of Jordan鈥檚 King Abdullah, Queen Rania and Crown Prince Hussein at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 12, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
WASHINGTON 鈥� President Joe Biden has joked to aides that the key to a long and lasting marriage is 鈥済ood sex,鈥� according to a new book about first lady Jill Biden that casts a spotlight on their 47-year romance.
鈥淎merican Woman 鈥� The Transformation of the Modern First Lady, from Hillary Clinton to Jill Biden鈥� was authored by New York Times White House correspondent Katie Rogers and comes out this week.
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The part about sex takes up only a few paragraphs in the 276-page book but has already generated headlines.
Rogers writes that Biden opted against running for president in 2004, a decision punctuated to aides when Jill Biden entered the room wearing a halter top with the word 鈥淣O鈥� scrawled on her stomach.
Joe Biden, now 81, told a group of supporters that year that he had little interest in running for president. 鈥淚鈥檇 rather be at home making love to my wife while my children are asleep,鈥� he said.
The comment drew a shrug from a spokesperson who said then-Senator Biden was 鈥渇rankly totally in love with his wife,鈥� Rogers writes.
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鈥淛oe may have tamped down on his public bedroom declarations (in) winning the presidency, but he has joked to aides that 鈥榞ood sex鈥� is the key to a lasting and happy marriage, much to his wife鈥檚 chagrin,鈥� according to Rogers.
The book describes the anguish Joe Biden experienced when his first wife, Neilia, died in a 1972 car crash along with their daughter, Naomi.
He and Jill married in 1977, but it took five proposals from Biden to get Jill to agree.
鈥淚鈥檝e been as patient as I know how to be, but this has got my Irish up. Either you decide to marry me, or that鈥檚 it 鈥� I鈥檓 out. I鈥檓 not asking again,鈥� Biden said on the fifth try, Rogers writes.