President Biden and First Lady Jill Biden had an early Thanksgiving celebration in New York City on Monday, traveling to Staten Island for a four-hour visit and feast with service members and their families.
Father Capodanno Boulevard closed from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. so the Bidens could enjoy a “Friendsgiving” dinner at Fort Wadsworth shortly after 6 p.m.
The dinner gathering was part of the First Lady’s Joining Forces initiative to support the families of service members and veterans, caregivers and survivors. Jill Biden and former First Lady Michelle Obama started Joining Forces in 2011. The group’s work focuses is on “Employment, Education, Wellness” for military families, according to an archived press release from the Obama White House.
A sitting president last visited Staten Island when Barack Obama surveyed damage done by Hurricane Sandy in 2012, according to the Staten Island Advance.
Air Force One landed at John F. Kennedy International Airport around 5 p.m. before heading to Miller Field in New Dorp. The Bidens planned to head home to the White House by 9:40 p.m.
While some Staten Island residence groused about travel delays triggered by a presidential motorcade, others found the visit exciting.
“Whatever your views, it’s still the president and not something you see every day,” Donna Curatola told the Staten Island Express.
In 2020, Staten Islanders reportedly picked Republican candidate Donald Trump over Biden by nearly 15 points. They voted for Trump over Kamala Harris by double that number earlier this month.
Hundreds of people turned out to greet the Bidens on Monday. The U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York brass provided the soundtrack.
Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president from 2008 to 2016, started his Thanksgiving week in Washington D.C. with the traditional presidential pardoning of two turkeys named Peach and Blossom.
“Well, fellas, your prayer is going to be answered today,” Biden joked to the birds who will head to a sanctuary rather than a dinner table.
The president, who turned 82 last week, will spend Thanksgiving Day with his family in Nantucket, Mass. According to the Cape Cod Times, that Biden family tradition reportedly dates back to 1975. This will be Biden’s final Thanksgiving as the nation’s commander-in-chief. He leaves office Jan. 20.
