Jill Biden is methodically building her profile as first lady as her husband encounters challenges during the first 100 days of his presidency.

This week, for instance, the first lady held President Biden’s hand during a memorial ceremony outside the White House to mark 500,000 coronavirus deaths in the United States, then made her first solo intercity trip to Richmond, Virginia. There, she visited a cancer research center. She also sat down with pop star Kelly Clarkson for her first solo TV interview, which will air Thursday, and will fly with her husband to Houston on Friday to survey the damage caused and hardship experienced in Texas during this month’s fatal winter storms.