President Joe Biden was spotted with first lady Jill Biden on the beach in Rehoboth, Delaware, on vacation for the second weekend in a row.
Biden sat near a blue umbrella wearing a black hat and a Philadelphia Eagles jersey as he talked on the phone and waved to cameras on Saturday.
The First Lady appeared relaxed with the sleeves of her white dress rolled up and her hair pulled back with a gray baseball cap.
The 81-year-old president, who has pledged his commitment to serve out the remaining months of his term, has faced criticism for spending so much time at the beach.
“Who runs the country?” asked Texas Congressman Wesley Hunt. unknown Thursday. ‘Joe Biden is on his second vacation in two weeks and Kamala Harris is preparing for her first interview in 40 days.’
Joe Biden sat near a blue umbrella wearing a black hat and a Philadelphia Eagles jersey as he spoke on the phone.
The First Lady appeared relaxed with the sleeves of her white dress rolled up and her hair pulled back with a gray baseball cap.
Biden arrived in Rehoboth Beach on Sunday after spending a week at an 8,000-acre ranch in Santa Ynez, California.
The couple, along with their children and grandchildren, stayed at a California ranch owned by billionaire Democratic donor Joe Kiani.
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.
Known as the Kiani Reserve, these 8,000 hectares feature their own private vineyard, donkeys and a herd of cattle.
The White House, however, 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.
The 81-year-old president, who has vowed to serve out the remaining months of his term, has faced criticism for spending so much time at the beach.
On Wednesday, he arrived at the beach in Rehoboth, Delaware, after spending the week in California.
He pointed to Biden speaking with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday and speaking with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as evidence the president is doing his job.
He will be in Rehoboth until Monday, when he will join Kamala Harris in Pittsburgh for a campaign event.
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.
Biden will leave next week and travel to Wisconsin on Thursday to discuss his administration’s efforts to reduce 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.
During his speech at the Democratic National Convention, Biden said he has “a lot to do” in his final five months as president.
Speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Biden said he was acting for the good of the country and was “going to work like hell” before his term ended.
He added that serving as Commander in Chief has been the “honor of my life” and that he has “much to do” in his final five months in office.
“I have a lot to do and I intend to do it,” he said.
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.