President Joe Biden appeared in public for the first time in three days, joining his wife Jill Biden on the beach near their vacation home in Rehoboth, Delaware.
The first lady’s two sisters and her senior adviser, Anthony Bernal, joined them on the hot, sunny day.
The group sat under two blue umbrellas. Some passersby waved to them as they walked along the beach.
It’s the ninth day of the president’s two-week vacation. He often sits on the beach when he’s in Rehoboth.
He was carrying a blue bag and was seen taking out a folder full of papers.
President Joe Biden joined First Lady Jill Biden and her two sisters on the beach
Biden arrived in Rehoboth Beach on Sunday after spending a week at an 8,000-acre ranch in Santa Ynez, California.
He will be in Rehoboth until Monday, when he will join Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh for a campaign event.
He is preparing to return to normal.
He’ll hit the road next week, heading to Wisconsin on Thursday to discuss his administration’s efforts to cut costs for Americans.
Wisconsin is a key state for Democrats in the 2024 election. Biden is no longer on the ballot, but he can talk about what he and Kamala Harris have done to help the country.
Democrats see Wisconsin as a must-win state.
Meanwhile, the White House has defended Biden’s two-week break, saying he is in charge and running the country from his vacation spots.
“The president is on vacation, but he can never disconnect from a job like that. He doesn’t even try to,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday at a Zoom news conference.
“He’s in complete control,” he said of Biden.
He pointed to Biden speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday as evidence the president is working.
Passersby greet President Biden as he sits on the beach
President Biden pulls papers out of his bag
Secret Service agents surround President Biden as he enjoys time on the beach
The White House has long maintained that Biden can carry out the duties of president wherever he goes.
When the president travels, a member of the National Security Council staff travels with him to keep him informed on foreign affairs and a member of the staff from the chief of staff’s office is with him to keep him updated on domestic affairs.
Biden is on his 114th visit to Delaware, spanning all or part of 328 days, according to journalist Mark Knoeller, who tracks presidential travel.
That’s a lot more than Donald Trump at a similar point in office: He spent 51 visits and 240 days at either his properties in Mar-a-Lago, Florida, or Bedminster, New Jersey.
It is the second consecutive week of inactivity for the Bidens.
They He left by plane for Santa Ynez, CaliforniaMonday night after Biden addressed the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
The couple, along with their children and grandchildren, stayed at a California ranch owned by a billionaire Democratic donor. Joe Kiani is an American film and television actor.
The property is located about three hours north of Los Angeles in the Santa Barbara wine region.
Kiani has been a major donor to Biden’s campaigns and a family friend. Hunter Biden visited the $50 million winery last year.
Nicknamed the ‘Kiani ReserveThe 8,000 hectares have their own private vineyard, donkeys and a herd of cattle.
The estate’s vineyard produces bottles of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, among other wines. The president doesn’t drink, but the first lady is known to enjoy a glass or two of wine.
Biden dropped out of the presidential race on July 21 after his terrible debate performance against Donald Trump, raising concerns about his mental abilities.
“For the next six months, I will be focused on doing my job as president,” Biden said in his Oval Office address on July 24.
