President Biden’s tenure in the White House has been marked by a striking pattern of frequent vacations, raising concerns about his commitment to addressing America’s pressing issues. At 81 years old, Biden has accumulated 532 vacation days in less than four years, which amounts to nearly 40% of his time in office. This is a stark contrast to the typical American worker, who earns about 11 days of vacation annually. To accumulate the same number of days off as Biden, an average worker would need approximately 48 years.
Mark Paoletta, a former White House budget office general counsel under President Donald Trump, criticized Biden’s frequent absences. “The image of Biden asleep at the beach while critical issues like inflation, border security, and global instability go unchecked will define his presidency,” Paoletta remarked. He highlighted how inflation remains high, prices are uncomfortably elevated, and our southern border is overwhelmed with illegal immigration, all while Biden appears disengaged.
Recently, Biden’s vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, marked his 16th consecutive day away from the White House. Speculation suggests that his low public profile since late July might be due to internal Democratic tensions, with figures like former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reportedly pushing him not to seek re-election.
In comparison to previous presidents, Biden’s vacation habits are notably excessive. During the first 957 days of his presidency, Biden took personal trips for 382 days, equating to 40% of his time in office. This is significantly higher than former President Donald Trump, who spent 26% of his presidency on personal trips, or Presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, who took vacations for just 11% of their terms. Even President Jimmy Carter, known for his work ethic, took only 79 days off during his single term.
Despite claims from the White House that Biden remains engaged and working remotely, his frequent absences have not gone unnoticed. Republican Representative Nicole Malliotakis humorously suggested that Americans might actually benefit if Biden took even more time off. “If he did less and went on vacation more, we might be better off,” she said, citing the negative impacts of Biden’s policies on border security, energy prices, and international relations.
In defense, White House spokesman Andrew Bates argued that Biden has taken fewer vacation days than the average for modern presidents and works diligently from wherever he is. However, the significant amount of time spent away from the White House raises questions about his priorities and effectiveness in addressing the nation’s challenges.