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Calls for Joe Biden to exit the presidential race and allow a younger Democrat to replace him have continued, but his number one fan is believed to hold a great deal of influence over what happens next.

Jill Biden, the commander-in-chief's wife of 47 years, has been by her husband's side through campaign after campaign and it is her that some political insiders believe urged him to run against Donald Trump for a second time.

Now that murmurs around President Biden's age and ability to win in November are increasing, with some in his own party counselling that he should step down, what Jill says in private could have consequences for decades to come.

So who is Dr Jill Biden, and how much influence does she have?

Born in 1951, Jill and President Biden met three years after the tragic death of his first wife and his daughter in a car crash. They married in 1977.

She has worked in education for more than 30 years, teaching high school English while her husband was in the Senate. She has continued her work while also serving as First Lady.

Jill is thought to one of the people who carry the most weight - if not the most - when it comes to those President Biden listens to. The other is his son, Hunter.

So when alarm bells started ringing after Biden's disastrous performance in the head-to-head debate with Trump last week, eyes pivoted to how Jill would respond.

The president spent the past weekend with Jill, his children and grandchildren on a previously-scheduled stay at the presidential retreat in Maryland.

It was also an opportunity to figure out how to quell Democratic anxiety over the debate and what comes next.

To the consternation of some in the Democratic Party, she appears to have counselled him in private to stay in the race, and came out swinging for him in public, US outlets including the Associated Press have reported.

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While his family was aware of how poorly he performed against Trump, they also continue to think he's the best person to beat the Republican presumptive nominee, according to AP.

They also believe he is capable of doing the job of president for another four years.

His family also questioned how the president was prepared for the debate by staff and wondered if they could have done something better, AP reports.

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While oddly timed, Jill's appearance on the cover of Vogue certainly grabbed headlines. In the article, she fiercely defended her husband: "If people knew what Joe's done...

"If they knew all of that − I mean, the bridge is being built in their city and they don't know who did it. They don't know who's getting the lead out of their water. They don't know who's stopping the pipeline going through the parklands. They don't know.

"That's why I'm trying to be out there," she continued. "Why we're all trying. To say, 'This is what we've achieved, and this is how it affects your life.'"

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As discussions about whether Biden should step down refuse to go away, there has been a concerted effort by the White House to push back on the pressure.

During a campaign event on Tuesday, the president blamed the debate performance on jet lag after two back-to-back European trips. "I wasn't very smart. I decided to travel around the world a couple of times," he said.

He added that he "didn't listen to my staff" about travel and joked that he "fell asleep on stage" during the debate.

It remains to be seen if those pushing for the president to step aside will be successful, but one of the scenarios being talked about in such an instance would be Jill, possibly with Hunter, telling her husband that she thinks the time has come.

If that Pandora's box is opened it would entail a tense and possibly dramatic process for choosing a new Democrat nominee to take on Trump in November.