At Children's National Hospital, Bidens encourage holiday cheer, 'hope'

Dec. 22 (UPI) -- President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden met with patients and families Friday at Children's National Hospital in Washington, D.C., ahead of the Christmas holiday.

The first lady read Clement Clarke Moore's "The Night Before Christmas" before the Bidens chatted with children and their parents.

President Biden thanked the staff at the children's hospital and encouraged patients and their parents to stay strong, drawing on his own family's experience.

"Jill and I spent time here -- the same as you parents did -- with our children, because of their circumstances," Biden said. "You know that old expression, 'where there's life there's hope.' Hopefully you kids come back when you're out of the hospital and hang out with other kids, so you know what it's like."

The president also didn't miss an opportunity to joke with the children of the hospital.

"When one of you kids is president, remember us, OK?," he said. "When they say, Joe and Jill Biden are out in the waiting room, promise you won't say 'who?'"

The president's first visit to the hospital was in 2022, making him the first sitting U.S. president to accompany the first lady on the annual visit since the start of the tradition under the Truman Administration.