OPINION:
Becoming president is an arduous task. It takes a billion dollars, thousands of campaign workers and years of effort, usually at the end of a long career in politics.
Some of that is true for President Biden. He a career politician who has sucked on the government teat since he was 27 (makes you wonder how he became a multimillionaire with several mansions, doesn’t it?).
And he did spend a billion dollars (none of it his) to win the White House in 2020.
But he didn’t put in much effort to get the job. He ran his campaign from the basement of his Delaware mansion, rarely venturing out for live events because of COVID-19 — giving him the perfect cover.
He did next to nothing to get the most coveted job in America.
Then we found out that his method of operation would be unchanged once in the White House. Mr. Biden leaves town every weekend — heading either home to Delaware, off to his beachside mansion or to Camp David, the presidential retreat.
He often bails at midday Friday and doesn’t return until late morning or early afternoon on Monday.
His weekly schedule is also a joke. Here’s one recent sample week:
Monday, Aug. 7
The president and the first lady will return to the White House from Wilmington, Delaware. The president will welcome the Houston Astros to the White House to celebrate their 2022 World Series victory. Second gentleman Douglas Emhoff, husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, will attend.
That’s a nice day for someone who makes $400,000 a year and who, unlike his predecessor, doesn’t donate his hefty paycheck.
Tuesday, Aug. 8
The president will discuss the Biden administration’s historic investments in conservation and protecting our natural resources, and how the Inflation Reduction Act is the largest investment in climate action in our nation’s history. The president will depart Arizona en route to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The president will participate in a campaign reception.
Ah, the old “raisin’ cash for the campaign while flying on our dime” trick.
Wednesday, Aug. 9
The president will discuss how the Inflation Reduction Act is unleashing a clean energy manufacturing boom just one year after the law was signed. The president will depart Albuquerque en route to Salt Lake City.
Yeah, there’s a real “boom” going on.
Thursday, Aug. 10
The president will deliver remarks on the first anniversary of the PACT Act, the most significant expansion of benefits and services for toxic-exposed veterans and survivors in over 30 years. The president will participate in a campaign reception. The president will depart Salt Lake City en route to the White House.
Another campaign trip with cover.
Friday, Aug. 11
The president will travel from the White House to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where he will remain over the weekend.
That’s right. The only thing on Mr. Biden’s schedule for Friday was to go to the beach.
Mr. Biden has already spent a week at the beach this month, and this past Friday, Mr. Biden and wife Jill left for yet another vacation, heading to Lake Tahoe, Nevada. The president and a bunch of his extended family members are spending the week at the $18 million waterfront mansion of billionaire climate investor Tom Steyer.
Huh. Interesting that Mr. Biden is pushing so much climate stuff lately, right? Is it because he’s taking a free vacation in a climate investor’s house? Nah.
The president hardly ever works. Mr. Biden has reportedly spent nearly 4 in 10 days of his presidency on vacation, according to statistics compiled by RNC Research.
The Bidens’ last trip to their seaside mansion marked the president’s 74th trip to Delaware since taking office — his most frequent destination as president, the RNC said.
“Since taking office, Mr. Biden will have spent 63 of 128 weekends in Delaware and another 27 weekends at Camp David. Mr. Biden has spent just 25 weekends — 19.5% — in Washington, D.C.,” the committee concluded in its report, The Washington Times reported.
So here’s a big question: Why did Mr. Biden even bother? If you don’t want the job of president, maybe don’t run for president.
Plenty of other people want the job, and you can bet that they’re ready to work every day for four years to do the people’s business. It comes with the territory.
President Biden is already semi-retired. He’s never worked that hard anyway. For the record, talking for a living isn’t a real job.
In 440 days, you’ll get a chance to fully retire a guy who doesn’t really want to work.
• Joseph Curl covered the White House and politics for a decade for The Washington Times. He can be reached at josephcurl@gmail.com and on X, formerly known as Twitter, @josephcurl.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.