Watch Obama light the White House Christmas tree, with help from Tom Hanks, musical guests
It's officially Christmas season at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. On Thursday night, President Obama and his family switched on the lights on the national Christmas tree. The 92nd annual lighting of the White House Christmas tree was hosted by Tom Hanks and his wife, Rita, and the formalities were preceded by musical performances from Patti LaBelle, Steve Miller, Chely Wright, and other performers.
"As we hold our loved ones tight, let's remember the military families whose loved ones are far from home," Obama said in his brief speech. "They are our heroes." You can watch Obama's entire speech here, or a brief recap of the night below, via AFP. --Peter Weber
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Campus security is in the public eye again after the Brown shootingTalking Points Questions surround a federal law called the Clery Act
-
9 new cookbooks begging to be put to good winter usethe week recommends Booze-free drinks, the magic versatility of breadcrumbs and Japanese one-pot cooking
-
Bari Weiss’ ‘60 Minutes’ scandal is about more than one reportIN THE SPOTLIGHT By blocking an approved segment on a controversial prison holding US deportees in El Salvador, the editor-in-chief of CBS News has become the main story
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
