POTUS and FLOTUS Spend Christmas Eve Visiting Children’s Hospital [VIDEO]
The President and First Lady are resuming a bittersweet holiday tradition while adding a twist to brighten up Christmas Eve for the young patients at Children’s National Hospital in Washington.
Although it’s typical for First Ladies to visit the D.C. hospital, Friday’s visit by Dr. Jill Biden and her husband, President Joe Biden, marks the first time a sitting president has joined in the fun, according to the White House (though former President Barack Obama paid a surprise visit in 2018 after he’d left office). President Biden, a grandfather of seven, famously enjoys chatting with young kids, much like President Obama.
The tradition of visiting Children’s National Hospital dates back to First Lady Bess Truman, the White House said, and always includes reading a book to patients who are unable to be at home with their families during the holiday. This year, Dr. Biden read “Olaf’s Night Before Christmas” to the kids who sat on the floor at her feet while her husband joked about reading the book at night before bed — along with his presidential briefings.
A special thanks to @Disney for donating books to all the children at @ChildrensNatl – we all felt the holiday magic of Olaf! (2/2)
— Jill Biden (@FLOTUS) December 24, 2021
“We’ve never had a president come with the first lady on Christmas Eve,” a hospital administrator told the President and Dr. Biden, who greeted about a dozen kids in the decorated atrium of the hospital as the children made lanterns as part of a winter crafts project, according to pool reporters who joined the visit.
.@FLOTUS and @POTUS read a Christmas story to children at @ChildrensNatl. pic.twitter.com/zxhbIUUkXJ
— Meghan Hays (@MegHays46) December 24, 2021
“You’re bringing us some joy,” the President told the children, including a boy named Beau, who shares his name with the President’s son who passed away in 2015 after battling brain cancer.
POTUS joined FLOTUS for the traditional First Lady’s holiday visit to Children’s National Hospital today. They spoke with children working on a craft project & FLOTUS read them a story. Their visit was streamed to kids’ rooms via zoom. pic.twitter.com/83rTE9m9lT
— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) December 24, 2021
The First Lady told another child about the newest resident of the White House, a puppy named Commander. “We have a new dog. This morning he was eating my slipper,” she said. The President also showed off a photo of the 15-week-old dog and suggested Commander might visit the hospital in the summertime.
This morning, the First Lady and I stopped by the Children’s National Hospital to spread a little holiday cheer. We hope everyone has a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season. pic.twitter.com/5eBIDRgptp
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 24, 2021
Before leaving, President Biden asked if any of the children at the hospital would like to be a doctor one day. A couple of hands went up — but others said they wanted to be a chef, a police officer an aerospace engineer, an author, and a biomedical engineer. Dr. Biden, who has visited the hospital twice before, said, “Thank you to all the nurses and doctors who are here to make [the kids] feel better.”
The People’s House is officially set for the holiday season. pic.twitter.com/puRut8T4r0
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 4, 2021
The Bidens also met some of their neighbors.
POTUS and FLOTUS stopped by a mostly FLOTUS-themed Christmas tree on the corner of 17th and Q in DC, decorated by the owner of nearby Italian restaurant Floriana. POTUS hung the 2021 White House Christmas ornament on the tree. pic.twitter.com/MReW7QbNi2
— Alexandra Jaffe (@ajjaffe) December 24, 2021
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