Biden at tree lighting says his holiday wish is for US to continue to seek light, liberty and love

WASHINGTON (AP) — As he presided over his final Christmas tree lighting at the White House, President Joe Biden on Thursday said his wish for the nation now, and always, was that “we continue to seek the light of liberty and love, kindness and compassion, dignity and decency.”

Biden spoke briefly to the crowd who were decked out in heavy winter layers as frigid winds and chilly temperatures hit the nation's capital. Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, were also in attendance. The tree has been set up on the Ellipse outside the White House South Lawn, and it's visible on the streets.

The 30-foot red spruce tree came from Mount Rogers National Recreation Area in Grayson County, Virginia. It was transferred to the White House on Nov. 15.

It’s the final holiday stretch for Biden. His wife, Jill, has decked out the White House with whimsical decorations to evoke the “peace and light” of the season. She missed the lighting this year because she was in Doha, Qatar, where she was discussing her initiative on women’s health.