KEY POINTS

  • It is unclear what the object was
  • The first lady injured herself prior to her two appearances Sunday
  • She also visited a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination center in Hawaii

Updated at 11.48 p.m. ET: First Lady Jill Biden successfully underwent a procedure on her foot Thursday, removing an "object" that was lodged in her foot while she was walking on a beach in Hawaii.

Original story: First Lady Jill Biden is scheduled to undergo surgery after stepping on an “object” on a beach in Hawaii.

The first lady injured herself last weekend while walking on the beach. According to Michael LaRosa, Mrs. Biden’s spokesman, the surgery aims to remove an “object” that lodged itself in her foot. However, the White House official refused to elaborate on what the object was.

"She will undergo a procedure today (Thursday) at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to remove the object," LaRosa said in a statement, as reported by the New York Post.

Jill Biden’s spokesman also noted that President Joe Biden, her husband, is expected to accompany her to the hospital.

LaRosa said the first lady had stepped on the object prior to her two public appearances Sunday, when she attended a barbeque for military families at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. However, Mrs. Biden had not mentioned any issues with her foot during and after the event, according to The Washington Post.

Jill Biden arrived in Hawaii on Saturday where she visited a pop-up COVID-19 vaccination center and encouraged residents to get inoculated as the U.S. reports a 47% increase in coronavirus cases in the past week.

"I’m here to ask everyone listening right now, to choose to get vaccinated," the first lady said, as reported by Fox News.

Her trip to Hawaii came after her five-day trip to Tokyo, Japan, where she led the United States’ delegation in the opening ceremony of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. During the women’s basketball game between the U.S. and France, Mrs. Biden was part of a sparse crowd, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to ABC News.

The first lady was seen in an American flag top and a Team USA Navy blazer designed by Ralph Lauren during the game.

In April, Jill Biden’s communications director, Elizabeth Alexander, revealed that she underwent a “common medical procedure” at an outpatient center in Washington, D.C. She also revealed that the president had accompanied his wife to the procedure, which lasted two hours.

Alexander noted that the first lady had “tolerated the procedure well,” but refused to share any information about the incident, including whether it was a planned procedure.

US First Lady Jill Biden poses with guests after US President Joe Biden delivered a speech on Independence Day
US First Lady Jill Biden poses with guests after US President Joe Biden delivered a speech on Independence Day AFP / ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS