President Biden on Monday urged Americans to show “love and grace toward one another,” hoping to inject sunny optimism into a rainy edition of the traditional White House Easter Egg Roll ahead of a bitter campaign against former President Donald Trump.
Mr. Biden joked about the weather, saying legendary TV weatherman Al Roker promised some sun later in the day, and urged Americans to pray for one another.
“We’re a great nation because we’re a good people,” he said. “The rest of the world looks to us, and we’re determined to keep up that banner.”
Mr. Biden spoke from the White House balcony, flanked by first lady Jill Biden and two costumed Easter bunnies.
His short remarks struck on familiar themes from his stump speech as his fierce rematch against Mr. Trump heats up.
“I’ve never been more optimistic about America than I am today,” he said. “There’s nothing beyond our capacity.”
The Easter egg roll, in which children and families roll Easter eggs through the grass with long spoons, is held on Easter Monday and hosted by the president and first lady.
The egg roll tradition dates to the 1870s, when President Rutherford B. Hayes invited families to the White House because Congress prohibited the practice on Capitol Hill.
“I think I met him,” Mr. Roker said of Hayes in a presidential interview on NBC’s “Today Show.”
“He was a classmate of mine,” Mr. Biden quipped.
After their balcony remarks, the president and first lady walked the South Lawn to greet families and engage in egg-roll festivities.
Mr. Biden, 81, is facing a tight race with Mr. Trump as voters raise questions about the president’s age and express concerns about inflation, despite positive numbers in other aspects of the economy.
“I just think people are so tired of the negativity,” Mr. Biden told NBC. “I’m optimistic. I really am.”
Mr. Biden said the COVID-19 crisis took a toll by fueling supply-chain shocks and high prices that have been hard to shake.
“We have the best economy in the world, we gotta make it better,” Mr. Biden said. “We’ve just gotta get people to move again.”
The president’s son, Hunter Biden, faces legal trouble and GOP probes into his foreign business deals but enjoyed the Egg Roll festivities on Monday. He mostly stood behind his famous father and looked on, though he talked to some families.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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