Kamala Harris has spoken out in defense of Dr Jill Biden after the future first lady was told to drop the 'Dr' in her name.
The Vice President-elect's comments come after journalist Joseph Epstein argued in an Op-Ed published in the Wall Street Journal earlier this month that - despite Dr. Biden having a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware - she should "drop the doc" as the title "feels fraudulent".
Epstein continued:
"Madame First Lady—Mrs. Biden—Jill—kiddo: a bit of advice on what may seem like a small but I think is a not unimportant matter. Any chance you might drop the 'Dr.' before your name?
"Dr. Jill Biden sounds and feels fraudulent, not to say a touch comic. Your degree is, I believe, an Ed.D., a doctor of education, earned at the University of Delaware through a dissertation with the unpromising title 'Student Retention at the Community College Level: Meeting Students' Needs'.
"A wise man once said that no one should call himself 'Dr.' unless he has delivered a child. Think about it, Dr. Jill, and forthwith drop the doc."
These sentiments were later echoed by Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, who said that Dr Biden is a doctor "in the same sense" as the popular soft drink Dr Pepper.
Check out what Tucker Carlson had to say here:
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Carlson stated that Jill Biden is "a doctor of education, which means basically nothing."
"Jill Biden is not a doctor, no. Maybe in the same sense Dr Pepper is," he added. "In 2007, at the age of 55, she got a doctorate in education, so she's got the same degree as Dr Bill Cosby."
Convicted sex offender Bill Cosby received a doctorate in education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 1976.
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Carlson then accused Dr Biden of having "status anxiety," saying she "decided to cure that, as so many do in our country, with another pointless title".
Now, US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris has spoken out in defense of Dr Biden, saying that it is unpatriotic to disrespect her hard work.
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Speaking about the issue on Good Morning America, Harris addressed Epstein's article, saying: "I was deeply disappointed that in 2020, that kind of approach would be given any legitimacy."
Harris then told host Robin Roberts in Wednesday's interview: "She worked hard. She raised her kids. She went to night school. She got degrees. She earned everything she has.
"That’s the American way; that’s the American spirit. So, when there’s anyone who tries to diminish the significance of people who work hard, I think it’s just not the American way, frankly."
Watch the full interview here:
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Harris' comments come after Dr. Biden, 69, took to Twitter to respond to the article in question, albeit indirectly.
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She wrote: "Together, we will build a world where the accomplishments of our daughters will be celebrated, rather than diminished."