A new report revealed that during 2023, President Joe Biden spent more than 37% of his time outside Washington, DC, enjoying getaways to his residences in Delaware and other luxurious vacation destinations.
According to records published by the New York Post, the 81-year-old president spent 138 days of the year absent, of which 90 days, which include frequent weekends and extensive vacations, were spent in Delaware. His properties in the fashionable Wilmington suburb of Greenville and Rehoboth served as his favorite retreats.
During 2023, Biden took a total of 22 days of official vacation. During that time, he also enjoyed destinations such as St. Croix, Lake Tahoe and Nantucket. Additionally, he spent 26 days at Camp David, excluding two days of preparation for a trilateral summit.
The president’s most notable vacations in 2023 include stays at properties of his Democratic benefactors, such as his free accommodation in St. Croix, owned by billionaire Democratic donors Bill and Connie Neville, or his stay at the Lake Tahoe estate of his 2020 Democratic rival, Tom Steyer.
The Biden family stayed at David Rubenstein’s $38.9 million Nantucket estate for Thanksgiving. The president’s advisers have refused to reveal whether the presidential family paid for his six-day stay at the mansion.
To conclude 2023, Biden took advantage of another free stay in St. Croix with the Nevilles, valued at over $6,000 according to the rental listing on VRBO.
Biden spent 37% of past year in Delaware, at posh vacation sites or Camp David https://t.co/gJ1UNXm2gq pic.twitter.com/CCkr5YzwyJ
— New York Post (@nypost) December 31, 2023
Biden leads other presidents in days away from Washington
According to the aforementioned media report, if the current president is compared to previous presidents, Biden is the one who has spent the most days outside Washington. George HW Bush is the closest competitor, spending 36% of his presidency in other locations.
The analysis also reveals that former President Donald Trump, known for his time at Mar-a-Lago, was out of town 26% of his time in the White House.
Despite the number of days off, the White House defends the president’s flexibility to work from anywhere. Deputy Press Secretary Olivia Dalton said that Biden continued to work during his vacation.
“The president works every day of the week, whether he is in Washington, Delaware, Camp David or anywhere else, and those around him and the journalists who cover him closely know it,” Dalton said, according to the New York Post.
However, the president’s free time could be the subject of debate in the political landscape.
