White House Thanksgiving Proclamation Calls on Americans to ‘Come Together’ Even as Covid-19 Rises

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The last line of the proclamation, released Wednesday night by the White House press secretary’s office, reads: “I encourage all Americans to come together, in homes and places of worship, to offer a prayer of thanksgiving to God for our many blessings. “

Public health experts warn Thanksgiving could be “the mother of all mass market events.” And the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against Thanksgiving travel as a way to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

Coronavirus cases are on the rise, and public health officials warn that family gatherings like Thanksgiving, which are often held indoors and multi-generational, could put vulnerable people at risk.

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 261,000 people have died from Covid-19 in the United States. More than 12.7 million people have been diagnosed with the virus and the United States has set several new daily hospital admissions records.

While presidential public holiday proclamations are usually superficial statements made by the White House, from time to time they take on the political tone of the administration or current events. This year’s proclamation also included sections dedicated to tackling the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump frequently ignored public health warnings and hosted large groups at the White House for events that were later deemed to be super-widespread, including a ceremony for new Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett, after which the president tested positive for coronavirus.

And despite warnings from public health officials – including the U.S. surgeon general – not to hold large gatherings, many of the public and private events of this year’s White House parties are still expected to run on a more modest scale.
First Lady Melania Trump oversaw the arrival of the White House maskless Christmas tree on Monday, posing at one point for photos with the tree farmers, who removed their own masks. And on Tuesday, an unmasked Trump pardoned a turkey in the White House rose garden in front of a masked crowd.

The first lady’s chief of staff, Stephanie Grisham, said Monday that many traditional White House parties would continue, but that there would be safety precautions, including smaller guest lists and requirements for mask, at indoor events.

The White House holiday invitations have started arriving on Capitol Hill and have been received by Republican donors, two people who received them said. The sources said the invitations looked like any other year, with no mention of coronavirus precautions. And last week, the first lady finalized the guest lists for the parties with friends, family and staff, which will take place over several evenings in mid-December.

CNN’s Nikki Carvajal, Betsy Klein and Kate Bennett contributed to this report.

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