President Joe Biden is currently enjoying a 10-day vacation in Delaware, which has drawn attention to his significant time spent at his private residences in the state this year.
According to a recent analysis by the Daily Caller of Biden’s 2023 public schedule, he has spent a total of 48 full or partial days at his Delaware properties, constituting approximately 22.7% of the calendar year so far.
The President often departs from the White House on Fridays and returns on Sunday evening or Monday morning, frequently visiting his longtime residence, earning him the nickname “Amtrak Joe” from his time as a Senator.
Recent photographs captured President Biden relaxing on the beach on a Sunday, shortly after a week where he avoided press questions about his son Hunter Biden’s court appearance in connection with tax misdemeanors. On the same day, his son’s former business associate, Devon Archer, testified before the House Oversight Committee on alleged corrupt foreign business deals.
In response to scrutiny over the President’s residence time, the White House has defended his right to spend time with his family, emphasizing that he can work from anywhere.
“The times that the president has gone to Delaware, not including and we were very clear when he went to South Carolina in August and Rehoboth he was going to go spend time with his family which every president does. That is not unusual, that is not uncommon to do and the president has a right to spend time with his family just like every other American across the country,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in September of 2022.
“As it relates to trips that he’s made to Delaware: Look, the way we see that is the President could be President anywhere. He can — he can work from the Residence. He can work from the Oval Office. He can work from Delaware,” Jean-Pierre added at the time.
Former presidents have also taken vacations throughout their administrations, with former President Donald Trump frequently traveling to Mar-a-Lago and New Jersey. In October of 2022, CNN reported that Biden had surpassed Trump in his getaway time when comparing the same time frames.
White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates told the Caller, “This is the latest proof point that Bidenomics is rebuilding the middle class and growing the economy so effectively, Republican officials are eager to talk about anything *but* President Biden’s record. Presidents of the United States are always on the job, whether they’re representing the country overseas or just 100 miles from the White House for a short trip to Delaware. Since he first served in the U.S. Senate, Joe Biden made a commitment not to lose touch with his roots and with what real Americans outside of Washington, D.C. are feeling. These critics may be among the strange, tiny group that thinks the Swamp knows better than where they come from, but they are the exception that proves the rule.”
Biden’s vacation also comes amid his 2024 reelection campaign. His campaign headquarters are based in Wilmington, Delaware, but no public plans have yet been announced on what Biden will be doing during his time off.
Biden’s campaign did not respond to an inquiry from the Daily Caller.
