President Joe Biden delivered his annual Christmas address last week. However, many saw both the content of his words and the context in which he delivered them as deeply disappointing.
Although the president has been portrayed as a devout Catholic, Biden never identified Christ by name during his remarks. Rather, he said that Christmas is about "the birth of a child — a child Christians believe to be the son of God."
Tune in as I deliver a Christmas address focused on what unites us as Americans and my optimism for the year ahead. https://t.co/4fIeG8dYSK
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 22, 2022
That contrasts sharply with the explicitly religious content former President Donald Trump included in his 2019 Christmas address.
President Trump: "More than 2,000 years ago, a brilliant star shone in the East. Wise men traveled far, far afield. I mean, they were a long distance away. And they came and they stood with us under the star, where they found the Holy Family in Bethlehem." https://t.co/srKJr9zwex pic.twitter.com/hp7SNM0pcO
— The Hill (@thehill) December 6, 2019
"More than 2,000 years ago, a brilliant star shone in the East. Wise men traveled far, far afield. I mean, they were a long distance away," the then-president declared.
"And they came and they stood with us under the star, where they found the Holy Family in Bethlehem," he continued, noting, "As the Bible tells us, when the Wise Men 'had come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and fell down and worshiped him.'"
"Christians give thanks that the Son of God came into the world to save humanity," Trump stressed. "Jesus Christ inspires us to love one another with hearts full of generosity and grace."
"And at Christmas, we remember this eternal truth: Every person is a beloved child of God. As one grateful nation, we praise the joy of family, the blessings of freedom, and the miracle of Christmas," he concluded.
What's more, Biden's Christmas message was met with derision from critics who accused the president of lacking sincerity.
"Unite, you stupid sons of b*tches! And Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals!" https://t.co/o9EQav6poI pic.twitter.com/VAk8dqwI6z
— Mia Cathell (@MiaCathell) December 22, 2022
During an interview with Newsmax, former Arkansas Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee took issue with Biden's call for unity given how the president has regularly demonized his political opponents.
"This is the guy who has created more poison and more bile in the body politic of America than anybody I know," Huckabee said.
"You don’t bring unity when you accuse people on the other side of being an actual threat to the very system of government we have. It’s absurd," he complained.
