President Joe Biden spent Thanksgiving morning giving back to Nantucket’s first responders, while taking time to weigh in on his successor’s threats to impose tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China.
Biden told reporters he hoped President-elect Donald Trump would “rethink” his first-day proposal, calling it a “counterproductive thing to do.”
President Joe Biden speaks to the media during a visit to the Nantucket Fire Department on Thanksgiving Day, in Nantucket, Massachusetts, November 28, 2024.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
“We’re in an unusual situation in America. We’re surrounded by the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, and the two allies: Mexico and Canada. And the last thing we need to do is spoil those relationships. I think that we put them in the right place,” Biden said Thursday.
Trump said this week that he plans to sign an executive order when he takes office on January 20, 2025, that would impose a 25% tariff on Mexico and Canada on all products those countries send to the United States , with the aim of stopping the flow of drugs entering the country and illegal border crossings.
He also pledged to impose additional 10% tariffs on China on top of any additional tariffs on products entering the United States, arguing that the country was not doing enough to stop the flow of illicit drugs.
Economists generally predict that tariffs of this magnitude would increase the prices paid by U.S. buyers, as importers typically pass on some of the cost of these higher taxes to consumers.
Trump’s tariffs would cost the average American household about $2,600 a year, according to an estimate from the Peterson Institute for International Economics.
While migrants are the central issue for Trump in his tariff threats, Biden noted that illegal crossings are down significantly from what they were when Trump was in office.
“There is still a lot to do, but I hope they reconsider their decision,” he said on Thursday.
The president noted that with a slim Republican majority in Congress, it may be necessary to find a “real compromise” in Trump’s agenda.
“I want to make sure this transition goes smoothly and all the talk about what he’s going to do and not do, I think there might be a little bit of internal reckoning on his part “Biden said.
President Joe Biden greets police officers during his visit to the Nantucket Fire Department, in Nantucket, Massachusetts, November 28, 2024.
Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images
Despite disagreements with Trump, Biden said he was grateful to his family and “for a peaceful transition,” adding that he was “truly grateful” for securing a ceasefire agreement between Israel and the Hezbollah.
The president also said he spoke to the three Americans who were released from Chinese authorities on Wednesday.
“I’m happy they’re home,” he said.
President Joe Biden shakes hands with members of the Nantucket Fire Department during a Thanksgiving Day visit to Nantucket, Massachusetts, November 28, 2024.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
Biden, who was joined by the first lady and her grandson Beau at a Nantucket fire station, was asked about his message to Americans worried about the future of the United States. He told them to “remember who we are.”
The White House said the Bidens also called units from each branch of the military “to thank them and their families for their service to the country.”
Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris spent Thanksgiving morning with her family at DC Central Kitchen as part of a community service project.
Vice President Kamala Harris celebrates Thanksgiving by helping prepare vegetables at the DC Central Kitchen (DCCK) in Washington, DC, November 28, 2024.
Benoît Tessier/Reuters
Harris said she will prepare a turkey, her “famous cornmeal stuffing,” sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, scalloped potatoes, green beans, Brussels sprouts, salad and rolls for dinner.
“Lots of carbs,” she says.
When asked by a reporter, “What’s next for you?” Harris joked “Thanksgiving dinner” and continued to prepare collard greens.
ABC News’ Max Zahn contributed to this report.
