At a pivotal moment, Jill Biden is the cover star of Vogue

Vogue’s August cover of Dr. Jill Biden was released online Monday — four days after the big debate — and prompted a new round of criticism over her role as a seasoned campaigner for her husband, who is embroiled in a nail-biting re-election campaign.

For much of President Biden’s term, the first lady has been a figure of minimal controversy. That began to change as the campaign season got underway. Fox News’ Laura Ingraham claimed that Dr. Biden was covering up the president’s unfitness out of her own desire for political power and prestige. In a similar vein, The Daily Caller, a right-wing website, began referring to her as “Lady Mac-Biden.”

Dr. Biden took center stage after Mr. Biden struggled to finish his sentences during a somber debate performance on Thursday against former President Donald J. Trump. Afterward, The New York Times reported that Dr. Biden was the first person he turned to: “The first lady’s message to him was clear: They had been counted out before, she was all in, and he — they — were going to stay in the race.”

On the cover of Vogue , Dr. Biden wears a white Ralph Lauren tuxedo. She was photographed in the spring by Norman Jean Roy, whose recent contributions to Vogue have included portraits of Nicki Minaj, Alicia Keys and White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. The accompanying profile of the first lady, by Maya Singer, describes her as a “vision of calm in the midst of total cacophony.”

Dr. Biden has previously appeared on the cover of Vogue twice. Tina Brown, the former editor-in-chief of Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, noted that appearing on the cover of Vogue is a “rite of passage” for first ladies. Still, Ms. Brown added, the implications of Dr. Biden appearing on the cover of a fashion magazine “are always a risk.” And right now, the Vogue cover is “not particularly helpful,” she added.

Shortly after the magazine placed the cover image on his Instagram account on Monday, the reactions were overwhelmingly negative. Some were from Trump supporters who used Dr. Biden’s appearance as an opportunity to complain about Melania Trump skipped for a Vogue cover when she was first lady. A number of other critical comments appeared to come from Democrats, with one claiming that Dr. Biden was pursuing her and her husband’s ambitions “at the expense of the safety and happiness of Americans.”

The cover slogan — “We decide our future” — didn’t seem to help, despite the fact that the first lady appeared to be referring to women voters when she uttered those words at a campaign rally in Minnesota in April.

“No!” wrote one commenter. “We decide your future! Done with your rights.”

Janice Min, former editor in chief of The Hollywood Reporter and Us Weekly, agreed with that assessment.

“It’s not a great look when the president refuses to give one-on-one interviews to news organizations, but his wife has her third Vogue cover during an election in which voters repeatedly say it’s all about the economy,” Ms. Min said. “Is the Vogue audience really the path to victory in Michigan, Wisconsin and Nevada?”

Ms. Min further noted that Vogue is also edited by Anna Wintour, who has organized private fundraisers for Biden’s re-election.

“At a time when trust is being questioned and Donald Trump is telling people the system is rigged and people believe him, I wonder whether it is wise to speak through a publication put out by one of Joe Biden’s biggest fundraisers,” Ms. Min said.

A representative for Vogue and Ms. Wintour said by email, “It’s no secret that Anna has been a supporter of Democratic campaigns for decades. Our August cover story is a look at the great work Dr. Biden has done and the most pressing issues in 2024 and beyond.” (The spokeswoman did not respond directly to a question to Ms. Wintour about whether she thought Mr. Biden should withdraw from the race.)

Vogue reached out to the first lady for comment after the debate. An update on Vogue’s website at the top of the article said that Dr. Biden spoke to the magazine from Camp David on Sunday. The Biden campaign, she said, “will not let those 90 minutes define his four years as president. We will continue to fight.” Dr. Biden added that her husband “will always do what is best for the country.”

Some who read those words on Monday felt that Dr. Biden may have been a bit cagey about her husband’s decision to stay in the race. Cindi Berger, the CEO of R&CPMK, one of the entertainment industry’s largest public relations and crisis management firms, noted that Dr. Biden could have said, but didn’t, “The idea of ​​him withdrawing is a non-starter. We’re in this to win this, and we’ll see voters at the ballot box in November.” Instead, Ms. Berger noted, Dr. Biden said the couple “will keep fighting.”

“There is an opening — that’s how I see it,” said Ms. Berger, a Democrat who called Mr. Biden an “extraordinary and remarkable president” but said she thought it would be the “right thing” for him to step aside.

Elizabeth Alexander, the first lady’s communications director, declined to comment when asked whether there was room for interpretation of the Vogue quote.

Ms. Brown, for her part, said she didn’t read much into the quote. “I think Jill is all in and no chance would advise him to step out,” she said via text. “She’s loving being queen after putting up with the hoity-toity Obama circle!”