The First Lady Jill Biden hosted a screening Tuesday evening at the White House Family Theater for “No Ordinary Campaign,” a documentary chronicling the journey of former White House staffers Brian Wallach and Sandra Abrevaya following Brian’s ALS diagnosis.
Mrs. Biden, clad in a maroon dress and a silver brooch, entered the theater around 5:30 p.m. to deliver brief remarks.
The audience of approximately 40 individuals, seated and clutching boxes of popcorn, greeted her entrance. She remarked on the room’s quietness, likening it to her first day of class, which coincidentally was that day.
“You’re too quiet. It’s like, you know, this was my first day of school today. And when I walk in they’re usually like this hush because they don’t know what to do, you know, they’re so, like, kind of uneasy but then after the first 10 minutes, they all kind of ease up so I hope that’s what happens with this.”
The crowd chuckled.
Mrs. Biden proceeded to introduce Brian, Sandra, and their two daughters, Naomi and Ella. Brian, confined to a wheelchair, and Sandra joined the first lady on a dais in front of the theater-goers, while their daughters occupied the front row.
“They met working on the Obama-Biden campaign in 2008 when they both came to work at the White House,” Jill Biden remarked. “Apparently we didn’t keep them busy enough because along came marriage and a couple of beautiful girls.”
Brian received his ALS diagnosis in 2017, coinciding with the day he and his wife welcomed their second daughter home from the hospital. Since then, he has been an activist.
The documentary tracks Wallach and Abrevaya as they traverse the US, investigating the healthcare system’s management of rare and fatal diseases. Following FLOTUS’ comments, Sandra spoke briefly on Brian’s behalf.
“I have to admit that I never thought I would be in the White House movie theater for a screening of our documentary. And I certainly never thought I would follow our amazing first lady on a speaking program. The last time I stepped foot in the White House, I was here as a staff member wearing itchy suits, working late hours and sending emails where I looped in three new people on every reply. The last time I stepped foot in the White House, I also did not have a terminal illness. I could walk and talk, I could type on my Blackberry, and I could hug Sandra – my White House colleague and girlfriend at the time,” she conveyed on his behalf.
The Firs Lady Jill Biden expressed gratitude and departed before the screening, encouraging the audience to enjoy the documentary.
READ ALSO
Trump’s Day in Office: October 28, 2026
8:00 AM President Trump participates in Executive Time. 11:00 AM President Trump receives his Intelligence Briefing. 12:30 PM President Trump participates in a Policy Meeting. 1:30 PM President Trump greets the Artemis III Crew. 2:00 PM President Trump participates…
Keep reading
Trump’s Day in Office: October 26, 2026
8:00 AM The president participates in executive time. 11:00 AM The president participates in a policy meeting. 11:45 AM The president participates in a policy meeting. 12:30 PM The president participates in a policy meeting. 1:30 PM The president meets with the U.S. ambassador to France and Monaco. Time not specifiedThe president departs the White House for Corinth, Mississippi. Central Daylight Time (CDT) Time not specifiedThe president arrives in Corinth, Mississippi. 6:00 PM The president delivers remarks. Time not specifiedThe president departs Corinth, Mississippi, for the White House.
Keep reading
EXCLUSIVE: State Department Looks to Expand Partnership With Serbia’s Newly Elected Parliament
The State Department said Monday it has seen the preliminary Serbia election results, including former President Aleksandar Vucic’s concession, a spokesperson told The Pavlovic Today exclusively. “We welcome the Serbian people’s participation in their parliamentary elections,”…
Keep reading
Vucic Concedes Defeat in Serbia Election as Student-Backed Movement Wins Parliamentary Majority
BELGRADE, Serbia (THE PAVLOVIC TODAY) — In a historic political upset that could end more than a decade of rule by his Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), former Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic conceded defeat Sunday evening…
Keep reading
Melania Trump Brokers Russia-Ukraine Ceasefire in Oleshky
First lady Melania Trump helped broker a temporary ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine in the devastated Ukrainian city of Oleshky, an unusual diplomatic intervention by an American first lady in Russia’s nearly five-year full-scale…
Keep reading
Corey Lewandowski and the Pardon That Waits
In Washington, everyone pretends to be bipartisan until the doors close and someone utters the magic words: “This is OFF THE RECORD.” This week, I found myself in a room full of powerful people…
Keep reading
Alina Habba’s $50 Million Deal and the Case for Saying No
There comes a moment in the life of a nation when the most important word in its political vocabulary is also the shortest. No. The Greeks have a rather magnificent word for it: Oxi. On…
Keep reading
Trump’s Day in Office: October 20, 2026
8:00 a.m. President Trump participates in executive time at the White House. 10:00 a.m. President Trump participates in a policy meeting at the White House. 12:30 p.m. President Trump participates in a policy meeting in the Oval Office. 1:30 p.m. President Trump and Vice President JD Vance make an announcement. 3:00 p.m. President Trump participates in a policy meeting in the Oval Office. 4:30 p.m. President Trump participates in signing time in the Oval Office. 7:00 p.m. President Trump delivers remarks in Greenville, North Carolina.
Keep reading
Trump’s Day in Office: October 19, 2026
8:45 AM: In-town pool call time 11:00 AM: President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump sign an executive orderRose Garden · Pre-credentialed media 12:30 PM: President Trump participates in a policy meetingOval Office · Closed press 2:00…
Keep reading
Katie Zacharia Out as White House Press Secretary
White House press secretary Katie Zacharia is out after less than a week on the job, following mounting scrutiny of her professional credentials, criticism of her first press briefing and reported tensions within the…
Keep reading
Trump’s Day in Office: October 16, 2026
President Donald Trump will begin his Friday at the White House before traveling to Dalton, Georgia, where he is scheduled to deliver remarks. He will then head to Palm Beach, Florida, for an evening event with the Republican National Committee (RNC). 8:00 a.m. President Trump participates in executive time at the White House. 10:00 a.m. President Trump receives his intelligence briefing at the White House. 2:45 p.m. President Trump delivers remarks at Dalton Municipal Airport in Georgia. 7:30 p.m. President Trump participates in an RNC event in Palm Beach, Florida. All times are Eastern.
Keep readingTrump’s Inner Circle Brings Its Own Explosives
In Trump’s world, even revenge needs an audience. And what a week it has been! The scandals. The leaks. The spectacle of Trump’s inner circle turning on one another. It is beginning to look…
Keep reading