Thanksgiving: Obama, Trump find time for duties and dining

For one president, it was his last Thanksgiving in power, for the next, his last before taking office. Both celebrated the holiday with family and friends after releasing video messages calling for Americans to come together after a divisive political campaign.

President Barack Obama, who inherited two wars when he came into office, spent part of his day calling members of the armed forces, thanking them for their service.

President-elect Donald Trump tweeted that, even on a holiday, he was working to keep US jobs from moving to Mexico, a theme of his campaign.


Both released holiday messages that called for unity after an election that Trump said was “long and bruising” and Obama described as “noisy, passionate, and sometimes divisive.”

“Thanksgiving reminds us that no matter our differences, we are still one people,” Obama said in his weekly address to the nation, posted on the White House website Thursday morning.

“We are neighbours who look out for one another, especially those among us with the least.”

TRUMP VIDEO

In a video released on Wednesday night, Trump said he prayed that the country could begin to heal and “move forward as one country strengthened by shared purpose.”

Trump tweeted on Thursday that he was “making progress” trying to get Carrier, a subsidiary of United Technologies, to keep a furnace factory in Indiana and preserve 1,400 jobs there.

Carrier responded to Trump, tweeting only that it had held discussions with Trump’s team and looked forward to working with his administration.

Amid the official duties, both men planned Thanksgiving celebrations.

GLAZED HAM

The First Family’s White House dinner menu included selections of honey-baked ham with an apricot-mustard glaze, prime rib and creamed horseradish with a shallot marmalade, fried chicken wings and of course, the Thanksgiving staple, turkey — roasted with thyme and served with a garlic jus and cranberry-orange relish.

As he has for 20 years, Trump celebrated at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

On the menu for Thanksgiving, according to the president-elect’s staff: Florida stone crabs, lobster bisque and “Mr Trump’s Wedge Salad”.

For a main course, there was oven-roasted turkey, herb-marinated beef tenderloin, pan-seared Chilean sea bass and chef-carved leg of lamb. Eight deserts were offered.