Bidens’ Last Holidays in White House Marked by Multiple Events

WASHINGTON — You could call it a day of holiday cheer.

And yet at the White House on Monday, the air was heavy with a sense of sentimentality and maybe even a touch of sadness.

This Thanksgiving and Christmas are the last President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden will mark as the nation’s first family.

As reported earlier by The Well News, the day began with the president granting a pardon to Peach and Blossom, the “National Turkeys” who will now avoid the Thanksgiving table to live out their days at an agricultural interpretive center in southern Minnesota.

More than 2,500 guests jammed the South Lawn for the annual event, which took place under abundant sunshine.

“It’s been the honor of my life. I’m forever grateful,” Biden said of his single term in office, striking a wistful note amid the jokes and good tidings that typically define the event.

On Jan. 20, Republican President-elect Donald Trump will return to the White House, four years after Biden defeated him in a pitched electoral contest.

Biden was battling Trump again in the hope of securing a second term when he was pressured to bow out of the race due to concerns about his age — the president is 82 — and his viability.

Trump went on to eke out a victory over Vice President Kamala Harris two weeks ago, but did so winning all of the so-called battleground states.

Since then, the White House has been a relatively quiet place, with Biden traveling to Brazil for the recent G20 summit and preparing for his upcoming trip to Angola in early December. 

Harris, meanwhile, has maintained a low profile since her defeat, spending time with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff at their home in California, and taking a quick, post-election vacation in Kalaoa, Hawaii.

It was little wonder then that Biden appeared to delight in the mood-lightening turkey pardon ceremony.

After noting the turkeys were named after the official flower of his home state of Delaware, Biden went on to observe that “the peach pie in my state is one of my favorites.”

A short time later, on the north side of the White House, the first lady, accompanied by her grandson Beau, welcomed the arrival of the White House Christmas tree.

As members of the President’s Own U.S. Marine Corps Band played a selection of Christmas songs and light jaz, the horse–drawn carriage bearing the tree made its way up the short driveway from the White House gate to the North Portico.

As the carriage came to a stop, its precious cargo, a 20-foot Fraser fir from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, appeared to glisten in the sun and the musicians launched into a spirited rendition of “O Christmas Tree.”

This was no ordinary Christmas tree, as the first lady made clear during her brief welcoming remarks.

Just two months ago, Hurricane Helene had devastated much of western North Carolina, including the Cartner Christmas Tree Farm in Newland.

“The Cartner family lost thousands of trees in the storm, but this one remained standing,” the first lady said Monday. 

“And they named it Treemendous for the extraordinary hope that it represents.” 

As she spoke, members of the Cartner family as well as members of the North Carolina National Guard who worked on hurricane recovery efforts and their families stood nearby.

“In just a few days, volunteers from all over the country will pour in to transform this tree — and decorate the entire White House. And out of the whirlwind of glitter and garlands, will come the warmth and comfort of the season. I can’t wait for everyone to share in it,” she said.

The tree will be displayed in the White House’s Blue Room, where hundreds of holiday visitors will have a chance to see it in all its glory. 

Not far from where the first lady spoke — in fact, just down a marble staircase — White House staffers were busy in a temporary “workshop” preparing the mansion’s wreaths and other holiday decorations for display.

As for the Bidens, almost as soon as the Christmas tree arrived, they were off for a “friendsgiving” dinner they were hosting in New York City for U.S. Coast Guard members and their families.

“We have one sacred obligation… to care for those we send into harm’s way,” the president said during brief remarks at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York on Staten Island prior to donning a dark blue apron adorned with the presidential seal to dish out vegetables.

During his remarks, Biden expressed a special gratitude for the Coast Guard members who rushed to the front lines when back-to-back hurricanes impacted the southeast earlier this year.

“Helene hit the coast … you rushed to the front lines, the search and rescue missions, up and down the coast,” he said of the deadly hurricane.

“When Hurricane Milton hit less than two weeks later, it stuck up again to help your fellow Americans,” he added.

“Simply put, we owe you. We owe your families,” Biden said. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

The meal was part of the first lady’s Joining Forces initiative to support military families. 

“With all my heart, thank you for your service and your sacrifice,” she said before the president spoke.

The dinner included turkey, of course, ham, and a number of side dishes and desserts.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and at https://twitter.com/DanMcCue