WILMINGTON, Del. – On the day before the Thanksgiving holiday, President-elect Joe Biden called for all Americans to unite in protecting each other and urged them to fight through the “fatigue” of the virus.
Speaking from the Queen Theater in Wilmington, Del., Biden spoke about the personal knowledge of losing a family member making the holiday season harder and called on Americans to hang on a bit longer with the end in sight.
“[The virus has] divided us, angered us, set us against one another,” Biden said. “I know the country has grown weary of the fight. But we need to remember: We’re at war with the virus, not with one another.”
Biden discussed the sacrifices made by the frontline medical workers in hospitals as the coronavirus continues to rage through the country. Several doctors, nurses and other frontline workers met with Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris last week and discussed the struggle they were facing.
The president-elect called on all Americans double their efforts in combating the virus, calling mask wearing a “patriotic duty” and not a political statement.
As an example, Biden said he is having a smaller Thanksgiving celebration stepping away from his traditional large family gathering every year and this year will have dinner with his wife, daughter and son-in-law.
“I know how hard it is to forgo family traditions, but it is so very important,” Biden said. “Our country is in the middle of a dramatic spike in cases. … That is the plain and simple truth, and I believe you deserve to always hear the truth from your president.”
Biden spoke about the personal knowledge of losing a family member making the holiday season harder, speaking from his own experiences after losing his first wife and daughter and more recently his late son, Beau.
“I remember that first Thanksgiving, the empty chair, the silence — [it] takes your breath away. It’s really hard to care. It’s hard to give thanks. It’s hard to even think of looking forward, it’s so hard to hope,” he said.
“Out of pain comes possibility, out of frustration comes progress, and out of division, unity,” he added.
