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Jill Biden has opened up about grief, faith and her husband Joe Biden's ongoing cancer battle, revealing that she prays to her late stepson Beau Biden every morning and asks him to be present as the former president undergoes treatment.
Speaking on The Jamie Kern Lima Show on Monday, August 17, the former first lady described how she continues to turn to Beau, who died from brain cancer in 2015 at the age of 46.
"Every morning, I pray to Beau, you know, and I think he listens," Jill said.
She explained that Joe's diagnosis has brought moments of fear and frustration, particularly as his illness has progressed. When those feelings become overwhelming, Jill said she sometimes speaks directly to Beau and visits his gravesite.
"With Joe, with Joe's cancer diagnosis, I get a little frustrated and I say, 'Beau, where are you? I need you,'" she said.
Jill also reflected on the loss of Beau, describing how difficult it was to accept his death after hoping he would recover. Beau was diagnosed with glioblastoma and died in May 2015, while he was 46.
"I really didn't feel Beau was gonna die," Jill said. "I couldn't imagine that God was gonna take him."
She said she felt "betrayed" by his death and struggled to understand why he had been taken from the family.
Despite the loss, Jill said Beau remains a constant presence in her life. She told Kern Lima that she feels he is with her even when she is not consciously thinking about him.
"He's with me every day even when I'm not thinking about him, he's certainly part of my heart," she said.
Jill also recalled an experience following Beau's death that she interpreted as a possible sign of his presence. After attending a memorial service, she and Joe returned home and saw an eagle flying across the lake near their house.
"It's those sorts of things," she said. "Whether they're real or they're not real, I do believe in that. I do see them in nature."
Joe Biden, 83, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 2025, and the illness has since spread to his bones. Jill has previously spoken about the challenges of caring for her husband, saying she worries about his medication, diet and exercise.
In a recent interview, she said Joe is "doing okay" despite the seriousness of his condition.
