President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden once again visited Washington’s Children's National Hospital on Friday ahead of the Christmas holiday, repeating what’s become a holiday tradition for the first couple since the Democratic president took office in 2021.
The first lady read the children “'Twas the Night Before Christmas,” as the president waved and flashed smiles at the children and their family members. President Biden also thanked the hospital staff for their hard work and encouraged the children and their parents to “keep the faith.”
“Next Christmas when I see you, maybe I'll see you at the White House,” the president said.
The Bidens on Saturday are scheduled to travel to the presidential retreat at Camp David, Md., where they will stay through Christmas Day.
Annual visits to the hospital by the first lady are a holiday tradition dating back more than 80 years to Bess Truman, the wife of former President Harry Truman. According to a Warner-Pathé Newsreel shared by the Truman Library, Bess Truman visited children being treated for polio on her first visit in 1946.
But Joe Biden’s unannounced visit on Christmas Eve in 2021 was the first time a president joined a first lady for a visit to the acclaimed children’s hospital. The visit took place amid surging COVID-19 cases fueled by the Omicron variant, so the first couple wore face masks as they greeted the young patients and staff.
“You’re bringing us some joy,” President Biden told the young patients at the time.
They helped a group of children making lanterns as part of a winter craft project before the first lady read them a Christmas story.
Last year, the Bidens met with personnel from the Emergency Department before participating in a book reading for hospital patients, some of whom attended from their rooms virtually.
The first lady read the book “The Snowy Day” by Ezra Jack Keats to the young patients.
“Thanks for coming and listening to me read and have the president hold the book,” Dr. Biden said.
“It’s my job,” the president quipped.
President Biden and the first lady capped off their visit by meeting with patients in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. They also met in private with pediatric patients and their families.
Before departing, the president offered words of comfort to parents of sick children, saying he and his wife have also spent their fair share of time at the bedside of sick family members.
“To all you parents, be strong,” he said. “We spent a lot of time in children’s hospitals with patients too, It’s going to be okay.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.