Biden to new citizens: ‘Thank you for choosing us’

The White House on Monday released a video of President Biden welcoming new U.S. citizens, replacing the previous video message from former President Trump.

“First and foremost, I want to thank you for choosing us and believing that America is worthy of your aspirations,” Biden says at the beginning of the almost 90-second message.

“Every immigrant comes to America from different circumstances, and for different reasons,” the president goes on to say. “But you all have one thing in common: courage. The courage it takes to sacrifice and make this journey. The courage to leave your homes, your lives, your loved ones, and come to a nation that is more than just a place but rather, an idea. An idea that where everyone is created equal and deserves to be treated equally. The idea that we have as a nation, and we can define American in one word: possibilities.”

Biden also discussed how his ancestors emigrated from Ireland, referring to them as being among the immigrants who “enriched and advanced” the U.S. through their “contributions, sacrifices and dreams.”

“Today you’ve earned a new title equal to that of an American president. The title I’m most proud of: citizen, citizen of the United States of America,” Biden continued.

The video is similar in length to Trump’s. A video from the sitting president was first played during a naturalization ceremony when former President George W. Bush was in office.

Tags Donald Trump George W. Bush Joe Biden naturalization ceremony U.S. citizenship U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

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