OPINION:
President Biden just doesn’t get it.
Being president is a 24/7/365 job. As President George W. Bush once told me, every morning when he arrived at the Oval Office (promptly at 6:55 a.m.), the world’s most pressing problems were already there on his desk, waiting for him.
But for Mr. Biden, 80, that simply doesn’t apply. The president has reportedly spent nearly 4 in 10 days of his presidency on vacation, according to statistics compiled by Republican National Committee Research.
“A shirtless Joe Biden enjoys a relaxing day at the beach. Biden has spent 353 days — 39.2% of his presidency — on vacation,” the research office wrote.
Most recently, the Bidens went to their Rehoboth Beach mansion, marking the president’s 74th trip to Delaware since taking office — his most frequent destination as president, the RNC said.
“Since taking office, Biden will have spent 63 of 128 weekends in Delaware and another 27 weekends at Camp David. Biden has spent just 25 weekends — 19.5% — in Washington, D.C.,” the committee concluded in its report, The Washington Times reported.
RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Mr. Biden headed for the Delaware beaches even “after the worst jobs report of his presidency” and as many Americans are living from paycheck to paycheck, The Times reported.
“Biden tries to downplay his failures, but Americans know Bidenomics is to blame for high prices and falling savings,” Mrs. McDaniel added.
The Bidens also regularly pop up to Camp David, the luxurious presidential retreat in Catoctin Mountain Park in Maryland.
Mr. Biden, who has visited the U.S.-Mexican border just once and quickly dismantled former President Donald Trump’s efforts to build a wall there, has spent $500,000 to build a wall around his beach mansion, Breitbart News reported.
The president and first lady also bailed out to the Virgin Islands just as millions were affected by one of the worst winter storms to hit the country in years, devastating Erie County, New York, where 34 people died.
But the media covered the vacation far differently than when Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, went to Cancun, Mexico, after a winter storm, when Texans faced widespread power failures.
Political writer Stephen L. Miller put together a list of how different media outlets covered the two stories, The Daily Wire reported in December 2022:
CNN:
Mr. Biden — “President Joe Biden this week returns to St. Croix, one of his and first lady Jill Biden’s beloved vacation spots, seeking a final opportunity for rest before what is expected to be a contentious 2023 and reelection run.”
Mr. Cruz — “Sen. Ted Cruz and his family flew to Cancun, Mexico, as a winter disaster in his home state of Texas left millions without power or water, according to photos posted on social media and confirmed to CNN by a person familiar with the travel itinerary.”
The Associated Press:
Mr. Biden — “President Joe Biden on Tuesday was headed to a place very familiar to him — the U.S. Virgin Islands — to enjoy some downtime and warmer weather and to ring in a new year with family.”
Mr. Cruz — “Texas Sen. Ted Cruz traveled to Mexico for a family vacation as his home state struggles with a weather crisis. a source tells AP. The high-profile Republican was expected to return immediately, according to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.”
NBC Bay:
Mr. Biden — “President Biden is in St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands to enjoy some downtime and warmer weather and to ring in the new year with family.”
Mr. Cruz — “Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas traveled to Mexico for a family vacation as his home state struggles with a winter weather crisis that has left many residents struggling without power, photos posted to social media appear to show.”
It would all be fine if the economy were humming along, inflation were low, the border were secure, and crime were not exploding. But the way things are going now, the president should be working 12-hour days to fix things.
Or he should go home and, like Richard M. Nixon, wander the beach until the sun goes down.
• 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 Twitter @josephcurl.
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