Biden tells boy to ‘go steal a pumpkin’ during ‘boring’ speech

President Biden told a boy on Monday he could “go steal a pumpkin” to avoid his “boring” Thanksgiving speech to members of the Marine Corps in North Carolina.

Biden, 80, pulled off the surprising joke when he approached the eldest of four children whose Marine Corps mother had just introduced the president.

The well-behaved boy had taken care of two of his three younger siblings while his mother talked and his father held the wriggling baby of the family.

“Must be boring, boring, boring for these kids standing here,” Biden said, grabbing the boy’s shoulder. “You’re allowed to do whatever you want to do, including go steal a pumpkin if you want – whatever you want to do.”

The boy chose to listen politely to the president instead.

There were pumpkins decorating the Marine Corps Air Station in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and Biden’s attempts at humor continued — on the heels of his morning turkey pardon — as he told the troops that “the reason we came is because the chef is not bad”.

Biden told soldiers more seriously about his family’s experience with his late son Beau Biden working overseas in the military and praised the families of soldiers who must endure their absence.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you for all you have done. By the way, I serve mashed potatoes so come to my house,” Biden said.

After he finished, the president took a cellphone selfie with the family and whispered something in the baby’s ear – before donning an apron and picking up some mashed potatoes while first lady Jill Biden was doing the stuffing for an assembly line buffet.

The president was then quickly given a bowl of what appeared to be ice cream before he and the first lady saluted the troops, including sitting down to converse and posing for photos.