Biden Calls for National Unity in Christmas Address

U.S. President Joe Biden delivered his "Christmas address" and stressed national unity, reflection, and kindness as 2022 comes to end.

Biden affirmed that he hopes this holiday season will drain the poison that has infected the politics and mark “a fresh start for our nation -- because there's so much that unites us as Americans, so much more that unites us than divides us.”

"Our politics have gotten so angry, so mean, so partisan, and too often we see each other as enemies, not as neighbors, as Democrats or Republicans, not as fellow Americans. We have become too divided," Biden said.

He added: "But as tough as these times have been if we look a little closer, we see bright spots all across the country. The strength and determination, the resilience that’s long defined America. We’re surely making progress."

In the same vein, Biden acknowledged the holidays can be a time of "great pain and terrible loneliness" for many Americans, reminding that 50 years ago this week he lost his first wife, Neilia, and infant daughter, Naomi, in a car accident while his family was out shopping for a Christmas tree.

The speech was teased as focusing "on what unites us as Americans, his optimism for the year ahead, and wishing Americans joy in the coming year," the White House said.