Biden joins wife on traditional holiday visits
They speak with sick children in a hospital and take phone calls while tracking Santa.
WASHINGTON — President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden spent part of their Christmas Eve visiting hospitalized children who aren’t well enough to go home for the holidays.
It’s long-standing tradition for first ladies to visit Children’s National Hospital at Christmastime, but the president’s visit on Friday was a surprise. It was the first time that a sitting president had taken part, the White House said.
It wasn’t the only tradition that the president joined Friday. Jill Biden answered calls to the North American Aerospace Defense Command’s Santa tracking service, another long-standing tradition for first ladies, and was joined by her husband for the calls.
At the hospital, the Bidens spoke with a group of children making lanterns as part of a winter craft project, asking each one what they drew on their lanterns. Some drew family, snowmen or other holidaythemed art.
They spoke to a child who said the hospital “helped him when he was down.”
“Well, we hope we’re bringing you some joy today,” Jill Biden responded.
The president added, “You’re bringing us some joy, pal.”
Biden also pulled out his phone to show the children photos of the family’s new dog, a nearly 4-month-old German shepherd. The dog joined the family this week and was seen playing with a handler on the South Lawn of the White House before the Bidens left for their visit to the hospital.
“His name is Commander,” Jill Biden told the children. “And this morning he was eating my slippers!”
The president and first lady then sat before the hospital’s Christmas tree, where Jill Biden read “Olaf ’s Night Before Christmas” to the kids, which was broadcast to hundreds of children in their rooms at the hospital.
Walt Disney Co. provided enough copies of the book that each patient could follow along with the first lady, the White House said. Each book included a White House bookmark designed by her office.
The annual tradition of a hospital visit by the first lady dates to Bess Truman, who served in the role from 1945 to 1953.
Before returning to the White House, the Bidens stopped briefly at a Jill Biden-themed Christmas tree set up on the street in Washington’s Dupont Circle neighborhood by a business owner.
The president hung the 2021 White House Christmas ornament on one of the branches, nestled among large cutouts of the first lady’s face dotting the tree.
Back at the White House, the two capped off their Christmas Eve festivities by answering calls for NORAD as they watched Santa soar over the United Arab Emirates on Santa tracker screens.
They took three largely pleasant phone calls from kids and parents, though one father capped off an otherwise polite conversation with the president by wishing him a happy holiday and adding, “Let’s go Brandon!” before hanging up. The phrase has become widely used by conservatives as a stand-in for a more vulgar epithet against the president.
Biden didn’t seem to catch the caller’s intent, however: He responded, “Let’s go Brandon, I agree” as the call came to an end.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on Biden’s response.