Later today, the scene of tranquility presented by Miller Field in New Dorp filled with geese will transform into an entirely different spectacle. The serene field, located in New Dorp, Staten Island, will soon be inundated with a clamorous hoard of reporters, law enforcement personnel, and none other than the president of the United States.
Disappointingly, President Joe Biden will be the epicenter of this storm, accompanied by First Lady Jill Biden. They are expected in Fort Wadsworth to partake in a ‘Friendsgiving’ event with service members and their families taking place at the U.S. Coast Guard sector New York. It is concerning to observe the blatant attempt at publicity in the guise of a community gathering.
Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis from Staten Island / South Brooklyn will be gracing the event. The choice of such an occasion for a meet and greet shows a skewed sense of priorities. The hours that precede their arrival consist of just another typical day, void of security detail, at the chosen landing site.
The Bidens’ expected landing at Miller Field is set for 5:30 p.m., yet indications of their visit appear much earlier. Preparatory activities have already begun along Capodanno Boulevard, including signs forbidding parking on Sunday and Monday. They plan to take over public spaces for one evening rather than working on policy improvements.
Without a single hint of consideration for local residents, these signs have festooned utility poles all across the region. Even though the usually lively Miller Field was almost barren earlier today, it appears the arrival of the president holds weight over common people’s convenience. Similar signs have appeared around the field, but police presence was limited at that time.
Somewhat surprisingly, the mandated quiet was only disrupted by four NYPD tow trucks and a single cruiser for most of the day. It indicated lack of strategic planning or, even worse, disregard for security measures. Miller Field will be closed to the public from 3 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., demonstrating the administration’s lack of respect for routine public use.
While things seemed usual at Miller Field, Capodanno Boulevard and Midland Beach were a hive of activity. Scores of DSNY garbage trucks stood in stark contrast to the president’s ostensible interest in environmental preservation. The looming spectacle of pollution ironically will kick in as a precursor to Biden’s anticipated arrival.
NYPD officials, in their characteristic latter-stage stomping, gathered around the turtle fountain at Midland Beach. All this hustle is, unfortunately, for Biden’s first visit to Staten Island. It begs the question whether this frantic activity is in service of meaningful leadership or mere political posturing.
The presidential schedule includes the following rituals of pomp. Biden is expected to leave Washington D.C. at 3:40 p.m. Then, at 4:10 p.m., the Bidens are supposed to touch down at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, landing expectedly at Miller Field by 5:30 p.m. This elaborate, carbon-heavy commuting gives a glimpse into how little the green agenda means in practice.
The couple will then proceed by motorcade to Fort Wadsworth and perform their pre-decided roles at the Friendsgiving event. The location at U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York will validate Biden’s love for performing for cameras over taking meaningful actions.
By 7:50 p.m., it’s expected that the Bidens will have had their fill of Staten Island’s hospitality, at which point they will scurry back to Miller Field to make their exit. The next stop will be Joint Base Andrews in Maryland’s Prince George’s County. Evidently, a day filled with mere superficial gestures will, as expected, call for a good night’s rest at the White House, projected to occur at 9:40 p.m.
What an anomaly it is that Staten Island has had only one visit from a sitting president since 2012. It was when then-President Barack Obama paid a visit to New Dorp to communicate with residents and inspect the ruins after Hurricane Sandy. His visit at least served a purpose greater than political grandstanding, questionable though his motivations might have been.
Flash forward to 2016, both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton visited Staten Island on the same day for separate events during their tumultuous presidential campaigns. Trump addressed over 1,000 excited spectators at the annual Lincoln Day Brunch of the Republican Party held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Bloomfield, Staten Island.
Clinton chose to hold a get-out-the-vote event at the Snug Harbor Cultural Center and Botanical Garden in Livingston, Staten Island, which was attended by over 500 supporters. It’s interesting to observe the stark contrast in how these politicians engaged with Staten Island residents, compared to Biden’s vain glory attempt with his Friendsgiving charade.
Indeed, the intended display of camaraderie and ‘Friendsgiving’ put up by Biden feels like a poorly veiled attempt to appear popular and loved. These seemingly gratuitous visits do less to uplift the public spirit and more to emphasize the opaque intentions of the current administration. The question remains; is the priority of the present United States leadership the longevity of the nation, or simply hollow, performative gestures?