President Biden and first lady Jill Biden offered up a New Year’s message Sunday night, saying a highlight of 2023 was the creation of jobs.
“One of the big highlights that stands out for me is my dad used to have an expression. He’d say, ’Joey, a job is about a lot more than a paycheck. It’s about your dignity, it’s about respect,” Mr. Biden said during a pretaped interview with Ryan Seacrest played during ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.”
“We’ve brought a lot of jobs back to the United States. People are in a position to make a living now and they’ve created a lot of jobs. Over 14 million,” he said. “I just feel good, the American people got up. They’ve been through a rough time with the pandemic, but now we’re coming back, they’re back.”
The president said he hopes “everybody has a healthy, happy and safe New Year.”
“But beyond that, I hope that they understand that we’re in a better position than any country in the world to lead the world,” Mr. Biden said. “And we’re coming back, and it’s about time.”
Mrs. Biden shared her hopes for 2024.
“I think it’s what I would always tell my students — be positive, be optimistic and be kind to one another.”
Mr. and Mrs. Biden rang in the New Year from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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