Bidens call service members to mark Christmas
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden marked his first Christmas in office by making calls to military service members stationed around the world, offering them holiday wishes and gratitude for their service.
Joined by his wife, Jill Biden, and their new puppy, Commander, the president on Saturday spoke via video to service members representing the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard, stationed at bases in Qatar, Romania, Bahrain and the U.S.
“I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, thank you, thank you,” he told them. “We’re grateful for your courage, your sacrifice, not only your sacrifice but your family’s sacrifice.”
Jill Biden expressed empathy for the difficulties their families experience spending the holidays away from their loved ones.
The Bidens planned a relatively quiet Christmas at the White House with family.
As the coronavirus pandemic surges anew, driven by the highly infectious omicron variant, the Bidens sought with their public appearances and statements to offer a sense of unity and normalcy in an otherwise challenging season for many.
In a Christmas statement, the Bidens praised the “enormous courage, character, resilience, and resolve” of the American people in the face of the pandemic, and offered prayers that the nation would find “light in the darkness” during a difficult season.
“During this season of joy, we are inspired by the countless Americans who are a reminder that the things we hold sacred unite us and transcend distance, time, and even the constraints of a pandemic,” the Bidens said in their statement.