(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) President Joe Biden spent more time vacationing rather than working in the White House, having more absent days than any American contemporary president, as his jaunts to Delaware occur way more frequently than his press appearances.
Biden will go to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, on Thursday evening to one of the homes he possesses there, reported the Washington Examiner. In Delaware, he spent more than a quarter of his time during his first year, and he wants to continue down that path during his second year in office.
“Every time I get a chance, I go home to Delaware. You think I’m joking. I’m not,” Biden said in February, The Examiner reported.
Biden spent more than 100 days outside of the White House, and if that pattern will continue, it will be more than 500 days, according to estimates.
“Ahead of this weekend’s trip, Biden has spent an estimated 188 full or partial days away from the White House, with 130 spent at his Delaware properties, 52 at Camp David, and six in Nantucket.” the Examiner said.
“If that pace holds, Biden will spend roughly 553 days away from the White House, which he has referred to as a ‘gilded cage,’ over his first term, or 1,106 days over two terms.”
In comparison, President Donald J. Trump spent 381 days outside of the White House over his term, and Barack Obama spent 328 days over his two terms.
George W. Bush was constantly criticized for his visits to his ranch in Crawford, Texas, [1,020 days outside of his office]. His predecessor, Bill Clinton, spent 345 days away from D.C.
In an attempt to save Biden’s collapsing reputation, White House spokesman Andrew Bates told CNN that even if a president of the United States is not physically in the office, it doesn’t mean he’s not doing his job.
“Presidents of the United States are constantly on the job, regardless of their location, whether they’re on a state visit overseas or just 100 miles from the White House for a short trip to Wilmington,” Bates said.
Even though Biden’s vacations brought a lot of complaints from people, it is his job performance that makes people especially mad, rather than his time away from the White House, according to David Greenberg, presidential historian and Rutgers University professor of history, journalism and media studies.
“It can be a kind of false causality to suggest people think a president is taking too much vacation and therefore they’re unhappy,” he said.
“It actually runs the other way. People are unhappy with the president, therefore, he’s taking too much vacation.”
