President-elect Joe Biden will deliver a Thanksgiving address on Wednesday, his White House transition team announced in a press release.
A news release Tuesday evening indicated that the live-streamed speech would touch on the “shared sacrifices Americans are making this holiday season” while delivering a message “that we can and will get through the current crisis together.”
The statement could allude to plans to address the millions of Americans facing food insecurity this holiday season; charities around the country have reported historically long lines for meal assistance in recent weeks while millions remain out of work due to shutdowns put in place to stop an initial surge of coronavirus infections earlier this year.
His address comes as more than 12 million COVID-19 infections have been reported in the U.S. since the beginning of this year, a staggering number that towers above every other country and comes alongside more than a quarter of a million deaths in the U.S. from the virus.
President Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic was seen as a key factor in Biden’s victory earlier this month, which remains contested by the president in courts in several key battleground states though his chances of overturning any states’ results look increasingly unlikely.
The address will also follow the beginning of the official White House transition process earlier this week, delayed by General Services Administration (GSA) director Emily Murphy for weeks due to Trump’s ongoing refusal to concede the 2020 election despite every major news network calling the election in Biden’s favor.