Trump and Biden’s Contrasting Thanksgiving Messages Highlight Political Divide
President-elect Donald Trump and outgoing President Joe Biden delivered markedly different Thanksgiving messages to Americans, starkly displaying their differing leadership styles.
While Biden focused on gratitude and unity, Trump used the holiday to attack his political opponents and boast about his recent election victory.
Biden’s Message of Gratitude
In his final Thanksgiving message as president, Joe Biden took a nonpartisan approach. He emphasized the importance of family, friends, and the blessings of living in America.
“Happy Thanksgiving, America. May we use this moment to take time from our busy lives and focus on what matters most: our families, our friends, our neighbors, and the fact that we’ve been blessed to live in America, the greatest country on Earth,” Biden wrote on X.
In a separate video message, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden expressed their gratitude for the trust placed in them during their time in the White House and highlighted the honor they felt in serving the American people over the past four years.
Trump’s Combative Approach
In stark contrast, Donald Trump used his Thanksgiving message to target his political opponents and celebrate his recent election victory. Trump’s message on his social media platform, Truth Social, began with a greeting to all Americans but quickly shifted to an aggressive tone.
Trump wrote, “Happy Thanksgiving to all, including to the Radical Left Lunatics who have worked so hard to destroy our Country, but who have miserably failed, and will always fail, because their ideas and policies are so hopelessly bad that the great people of our Nation just gave a landslide victory to those who want to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The President-elect’s message continued with promises of a respected, productive, fair, and strong America. He assured his supporters that they would be proud to be American “more than ever before.”
A Pattern of Controversial Holiday Messages
Trump’s combative Thanksgiving message is not a new phenomenon. The President-elect has a history of using holiday greetings as a platform for political statements. In 2013, Trump posted a now-infamous Thanksgiving message on social media, saying, “Happy Thanksgiving to all—even the haters and losers!”
This year’s message follows a similar pattern to his 2023 Thanksgiving post, where he also used the phrase “destroy our country” to describe his political opponents’ actions.
The Political Divide
The contrasting messages from Biden and Trump highlight the deep political divide in the United States. Biden’s message of unity and gratitude contrasts with Trump’s aggressive approach, which has been a hallmark of his political career.
Trump’s victory in the 2024 election, which saw Republicans gain control of both chambers of Congress and the presidency, appears to have encouraged his aggressive rhetoric. Despite the traditional expectation for a more conciliatory tone following an election victory, Trump seems doubling down on his divisive approach.
Looking Ahead
As the country prepares for the transition of power, the stark difference in messaging between the outgoing and incoming presidents raises questions about the future of political discourse in America. Biden has promised Trump a peaceful transition of power, while Trump has vowed to roll back many of the Biden administration’s achievements.
The contrasting Thanksgiving messages serve as a preview of what Americans might expect in the coming years. Trump’s return to the White House is likely to bring a significant shift in tone and policy direction, potentially deepening the country’s political divide.
As the nation moves forward, it remains to be seen how these differing approaches to leadership and communication will shape the political landscape and Americans’ everyday lives in the years to come.