Biden and Trump Clash Over Thanksgiving Family Gatherings

Biden States in CNN Op-Ed "There Will Be Empty Chairs at Tables Nationwide"
Trump Says "All Americans Should Gather to Give Thanks"
US Air Travelers Exceed 1 Million Daily... Highest Level Since March

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] Ahead of Thanksgiving, U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and President Donald Trump showed contrasting stances. While Biden, who has emphasized mask usage, stressed small family gatherings for quarantine purposes, President Trump encouraged family gatherings as usual.

On the 26th (local time), U.S. President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Jill co-authored an op-ed for CNN stating, "This Thanksgiving, there will be empty chairs at tables across the nation," adding, "Our turkey this year will be smaller than before, and the clatter of cooking will be quieter."

He also said, "Like millions of Americans, we are going to set aside traditions that we cannot safely observe for a while."

This refers to the situation where, due to COVID-19, people cannot gather to share meals on Thanksgiving. In a speech the day before Thanksgiving, Biden mentioned that he would have Thanksgiving dinner with his wife and daughter’s family and expressed his intention to follow public health authorities' guidelines to reduce family gatherings.

He further emphasized, "Lost time and moments with loved ones cannot be recovered, but this is the price we pay to protect each other, and I know we are not paying this price alone. We are healing together."

On the day before Thanksgiving, Biden delivered a national address urging unity in the fight against COVID-19.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

On the other hand, President Trump, in a Thanksgiving proclamation released the previous evening, said, "I encourage all Americans to gather at home or places of worship to offer prayers of thanks to God for our many blessings." On Thanksgiving Day, Trump headed to one of his own golf courses.

CNN pointed out that President Trump's message contradicts the warnings from health experts.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended avoiding Thanksgiving travel to prevent further spread of COVID-19, but many still headed to airports to meet with family.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), over one million travelers boarded flights on the 25th alone. WSJ reported this as the highest number of travelers at airports since the COVID-19 outbreak began in March. The previous weekend was the second time over one million people traveled in a single day to return home or go on trips.

The American Automobile Association (AAA) also predicted that despite CDC warnings, more than 50 million people would travel during this Thanksgiving holiday period.