US: Biden praises 'enormous courage' in face of pandemic

In a Christmas greeting, President Joe Biden addressed Americans at home and abroad on Saturday — expressing gratitude for their resilience and "sacrifice" during the tough times sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

Biden praised "the enormous courage, character, resilience, and resolve in all of you who heal, comfort, teach, and protect and serve in ways big and small" in his first Christmas address as president.

"You show there is much to gain in appreciation and gratitude for the gift of time and goodwill we share as we look out for one another," Biden said in a statement along with First Lady Jill Biden.

"Again and again, you show how our differences are precious and our similarities infinite."

US military: 'You are the spine of the nation'

In a call with service members stationed in Qatar, Bahrain, Romania and the US state of Colorado, Biden said: "As your commander in chief, I wanted to take this opportunity to say thank you, thank you, thank you."

"You are the solid steel spine of the nation," Biden said, recalling that his son Beau, who died of brain cancer in 2015, had served in Iraq. "Jill and I know how hard it is for you."

Jill Biden, meanwhile, spoke about her father who served in the US Navy during World War II.

Spreading cheer closer to home

With coronavirus infections surging in the United States, the Bidens spent Christmas Eve spreading holiday cheer around Washington.

On Friday morning, they stopped by at Children's National Hospital to offer greetings to young patients and their families. The president showed photos of their new puppy, named Commander, and Jill read a children's book to patients.

Later, the couple visited a Jill Biden-themed Christmas tree in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of the US capital. President Biden hung the 2021 White House Christmas ornament.

jsi/rs (AP/AFP)