Doug Emhoff to lead US delegation to Paralympics in Tokyo

Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Harris and the nation’s first second gentleman, will lead a two-person presidential delegation to attend the Paralympic Games in Japan, the White House announced Tuesday.

Raymond Greene, the charge d’affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, will also attend the ceremony along with Emhoff on Aug. 24.

The trip will be Emhoff’s first official overseas visit since he stepped into the role of second gentleman in January. 

Emhoff, a former lawyer, has traveled to several states to promote President Biden’s agenda and encourage coronavirus vaccinations, carving out a path as a key messenger for the Biden administration.

On Monday, he visited a vaccine clinic in Topeka, Kan., with Education Secretary Miguel Cardona.

The 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Tokyo is currently under a state of emergency amid a rise in COVID-19 infections and the organizers have banned spectators from most venues for the Paralympics, as was the case for the Olympics, which concluded on Sunday night.

Roughly 4,400 athletes with physical disabilities will compete in 539 events during the Paralympics.

First lady Jill Biden led the presidential delegation to the opening ceremony of the Olympics last month, during which she met with the Japanese prime minister and his wife, hosted a watch party for the U.S.-Mexico softball game and watched some of the competitions.