President Biden and the first lady hosted a group of active duty military service members and their families for an afternoon barbecue at the White House to celebrate the Fourth of July.
The celebration was a star-studded bash, headlined by Grammy winners Ne-Yo and Brothers Osborne.
“As we remember the extraordinary country that this is, I hope we’ll all rededicate ourselves to the essential work of our democracy, which is to unify this nation,” Biden said in an address to the families.
He went on to quote from Thomas Jefferson’s words from the beginning of the Declaration of Independence, remarking that “all men are created equal,” and the “inalienable right” to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
“We haven’t always lived up to those words, but we’ve never walked away from them,” Biden said.
Tuesday’s event was a bigger affair than previous Independence Day celebrations of the Bidens. Previous music lineups featured Andy Grammer at a smaller event in 2022 and Jennifer Nettles at a COVID-distanced celebration in 2021.
Thousands topped picnic blankets on the South Lawn for the music performances, which preceded fireworks. Biden gave brief remarks to the crowd before Ne-Yo’s headlining set.
“Welcome to your house, the White House. We’re just rentin’,” he said.
Before the military barbecue, Biden addressed the annual meeting of the National Education Association. First lady Jill Biden, who is a college professor, also gave remarks.
“I often say that our children, they’re all our children, are the kite strings that hold our country aloft. And you [teachers] hold those strings. Our job is to make sure you have what you need to do what you do best,” the president said.
“We owe our nation’s educators so much, and I’m here to say we have you back. We’re committed to supporting all of you, just like you support the nation’s future in our children,” he added.