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Anthony Bernal, 51, (center in the beige suit) is Jill Biden's 'work husband' and accompanied the couple on their late night visit post Thursday's disastrous debate to Waffle House.
Then came the blink-and-you-miss-it moment: Just behind Biden, but still in camera shot, Jill glanced across to an otherwise unassuming man, with thinning hair and in a beige suit jacket, who in turn raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes, looking alarmed.
A silent but perhaps telling interaction – for this man was Anthony Bernal, Jill's ever-present and most senior adviser.
Behind White House walls, Jill refers to Bernal, 51, as her 'work husband', with the pair rarely seen apart.
'Bernal is the most powerful person in the East Wing [the First Lady's White House quarters], he has dominion over everything that happens in it, from trips and scheduling to speeches and messaging… he's on senior calls every day,' Jill's biographer Katie Rogers says.
Crucially, Bernal helps 'blueprint' and orchestrate 'how the president looks when [the public] see him, not just the first lady', Rogers added.
And so, as pressure now mounts on Jill – who Biden insiders describe as 'the one person' who could convince the ailing president not to run in 2024 – and accusations swirl about the level of her influence inside the Oval Office, Bernal's role has also come under increased scrutiny.
'He has an unmatched ability to influence things in the president's team,' one former co-worker told the New York Post in March.
Anthony Bernal is a permanent fixture in the Biden family, managing their movements and earning himself the informal title of Jill Biden's 'work husband'.
www.dailymail.co.uk