President Biden paid a surprise Christmas Eve visit to a Washington children’s hospital on Friday, hoping to boost the spirits of children who will be spending the holidays receiving medical treatment.
Biden showed patients at the National Children’s Hospital a photo of his new puppy Commander, a German Shepherd who replaced the former first dog Nippy Major.
” How are you? Salvation. Salvation! Biden said upon arrival, glancing over a young boy’s stroller.
A school-aged boy told the President and First Lady Jill Biden that his Christmas wish was “for my cancer to be gone forever.”
“Pretty cool, Danny,” the president said.
“We hope your cancer is gone too,” added the first lady.
A girl named Chloe, who has drawn a snowman on a paper bag that will be illuminated by a tea light, said she was grateful to the hospital staff for making her feel better.
“You will be out of here. When you go out, you have to come see me at the White House, ”Biden said.
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden pose for a photo with Dito Sevilla near a Christmas tree at Italian restaurant Floriana in Wash. AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster A Christmas tree at Italian restaurant Floriana is decorated with images of Jill Biden.AP Photo / Carolyn Kaster
The president then approached a bald child and said, “I had the same operation as you. ”
It is not known which procedure Biden was referring to. The president received treatment for a brain aneurysm and sinus surgeries to reduce congestion, among other operations.
“Do you know we just had a new dog?” The first lady asked the children. “His name is Commander and this morning he was eating my slippers.
The President then took out a smartphone and showed the children a photo of the puppy, telling them the Commander was “15 weeks old.”
Biden’s cell phone habits and the security measures to secure his devices aren’t widely known.
After leaving the hospital, the first couple took a roundabout route back to the White House so they could stop in front of an Italian restaurant’s large outdoor Christmas tree topped with a photo of Jill Biden.
Floriana, located a mile north of the White House, has a tradition of honoring Democratic politicians on its seasonal tree. In January, the restaurant was visited by Vice President Kamala Harris after adopting a “Kamala la-la-la-la-la-la-la” tree theme and placing large photos of the new Vice President. on its coronavirus-adapted outdoor dining tents. .
In 2018, an ornament of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Striking a hammer crowned the tree.
President Biden paid a surprise Christmas Eve visit to a children’s hospital on Friday.NICHOLAS KAMM /. via.
Upon his return to the White House, the president noted the unusually warm weather in Washington, telling reporters: “It looks more like Easter than Christmas. “
The Bidens will spend Christmas at the White House with their extended family before taking an after-Christmas trip to their private home in Wilmington, Del.
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