Joe and Jill Biden Share Unifying Message During Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: 'We Must Come Together'

"We should focus on dealing with our problems and being together, and stop the rancor," President Joe Biden said during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden shared a powerful message this Thanksgiving Day.

The pair called into the Today show during its coverage of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade to speak with Al Roker amid his return to the Thanksgiving morning broadcast. Roker, 69, missed last year's parade while he recovered from blood clots in his leg and lungs.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Al. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without you," Joe, 81, said as he and Jill, 72, called into the broadcast.

When Roker asked the president about his message for Today's viewers on Thursday, he said he would like Americans "to remind ourselves how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on the face of the earth."

"And that's real," he continued. "We've made extraordinary progress. There's nothing beyond our capacity when we work together. So today is about coming together, giving thanks to this country we call home, and thanks to all the firefighters, police officers, first responders and our troops, some of whom are stationed abroad. I've never been more optimistic, Al. We're delighted to be with you, even by telephone."

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"I think it's important that we all commit to an act of kindness today, so call someone and wish them a happy Thanksgiving or do something kind," Jill added during the phone call.

President Biden also shared his belief with Roker that "we have to come together" this Thanksgiving.

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"We can have different political views, but we have one view: the one view is we're the greatest nation in the world. We should focus on that, and we should focus on dealing with our problems and being together, and stop the rancor," he said. "We have to bring the nation together and we have to [create] a little bit of decency, and I think that’s where the vast majority of the American people are.” 

The Bidens have called into NBC's broadcast of the annual Thanksgiving day parade each year since President Biden took office in 2021. During Roker's absence last year, the couple also promised to call Roker and check in on him while he missed the parade for the first time in 27 years.

Related: Joe Biden Jokes About Turning 81 with Fiery Cake: ‘You Run Out of Space for Candles!'

The Bidens traditionally spend Thanksgiving in Nantucket, Massachusetts. They arrived on the island on Tuesday evening, per Factba.se, which tracks the president's public schedule.

On Monday, President Biden participated in the annual White House turkey pardon, in which he pardoned two turkeys named Liberty and Bell, who were raised in Willmar, Minnesota. The president also turned 81 years old on Monday — and he even joked about his age during the event.

"This is the 76th anniversary of this event," he said of the pardoning ceremony. "I want you to know I wasn't there at the first one. I was too young to make it up."

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