According to the Republican National Committee (RNC), US President Joe Biden has taken 532 vacation days out of his 1,326 office days, accounting for 40.3% of his presidency.
The RNC highlighted that Biden had spent 16 days at the beach, raising concerns about who is managing the government in his absence. They noted that, in contrast, the average American worker receives about 11 paid vacation days per year. According to their analysis, Biden’s time off could be equated to 48.3 years’ worth of vacation days within just 3.6 years.
Biden’s retreats typically include weekends and holidays at his Wilmington, Delaware home, Rehoboth Beach vacation house, and Camp David. On September 1st, he was photographed sunbathing at Rehoboth Beach.
That same day, Israeli forces discovered the bodies of six civilians previously held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Former President Donald Trump seized on this, criticizing Biden for spending 16 consecutive days on the beach while Americans faced crises abroad.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates defended Biden, stating that Biden has taken fewer vacation days than the average president and works hard daily. He explained that Biden performs remote work using secure communication equipment. Last summer, even while vacationing at Lake Tahoe in Nevada, Biden received nearly daily briefings on wildfires and floods and signed disaster declarations.
Long vacations have become a tradition for US presidents. Trump took 378 vacation days during his four years in office, former President Barack Obama took 328 days over eight years, and former President George W. Bush took 1,020 days.
US presidents and their families often describe the White House as a place that limits their privacy, with some referring to it as a “prison.” Former President Harry Truman called it “the bit white jail,” while former First Lady Michelle Obama called it a “really nice prison.” Biden has also compared the White House to a “gilded cage.”
Criticism also surrounds the high costs of presidential vacations, mainly for security and transportation. Reports indicate that Obama spent $105 million, Bush $140 million, and Trump $144 million on vacations during their respective terms.
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