Outgoing US President Joe Biden called on Americans to reflect in silence and unite on Christmas, and President-elect Donald Trump offered a holiday card and a slew of politically-focused social media posts, showing the two politicians yet again their differences.
In a video of a tour of the White House Christmas decorations on Christmas Eve, posted on YouTube, Biden urges Americans to “put aside all the noise and everything that divides us.”
– We are here on this Earth to take care of each other, to love each other. Too often we see each other as enemies, not as neighbors, not as fellow Americans, says Joe Biden as the camera pans past decorated Christmas trees and fireplaces inside the White House.
Biden called on Americans to find a moment of “quiet reflection” to encourage themselves to treat others with dignity and respect, to “live in the light” and not to forget that there is more that unites Americans than divides them. “We are truly blessed to live in this country,” he concluded.
Trump posted a “Merry Christmas” message on his Truth Social network mid-morning with a photo of himself and his wife, Melania. He then shared about two dozen articles or other social media posts supporting his political views on topics such as the controversial nomination of Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense or Trump’s desire to seize Greenland or the Panama Canal.
He also shared a mocking Barack Obama meme showing a photo of the 44th president and himself at the 2017 inauguration with the message “When you see a character at your inauguration who said ‘you’ll never be president’.”
Joe Biden took over from Trump in 2021, promising to “end this uncivil war of red against blue, rural against urban, conservative against liberal,” only to announce in July that he would drop out of the 2024 presidential race to, he says, , united the country.
By some measures, polarization in the country has increased instead, including during the 2024 campaign that pitted Biden against Trump again, before Democrat Kamala Harris took over the race from Biden.
Candidate-elect Trump, who will take power on January 20, after winning the election called for the prosecution of alleged political enemies and promised to restructure the federal government.
(Vijesti.ba)
