President Joe Biden is enjoying some time on the beach near his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, lounging by the waves with his family as Vice President Kamala Harris carries the campaign load.
Biden arrived at his Delaware beach home on Thursday night after an emotional visit to his campaign headquarters in Wilmington now that he has “passed the torch” to Harris, who drew 10,000 people at a rally in Arizona and has been surging in opinion polls after reinvigorating the race.
Biden, 81, seemed content with his current lot, waving to reporters from a distance as he walked toward the beach on a balmy 79-degree day now that the remnants of Hurricane Betty had passed.
Beachgoers, accustomed to Biden’s occasional visits, mostly gave him space as he sat with his wife, Jill, and granddaughter, Naomi. Secret Service agents had cleared a large area for them. Two black-clad agents watched the weekend visitors with large binoculars from a sand dune.
As he headed there, Biden ignored a shouted question about the state of the race and the tense situation in Gaza, preferring to get straight to the point.
He stopped and chatted with a group of children who were approaching and received a round of applause when he arrived. Some visitors stood and gaped at him.
President Joe Biden spent time on the beach with his granddaughter Naomi and First Lady Jill Biden in Rehoboth Beach
Once he arrived at his campsite on the beach, he reclined in his recliner. He then sat back and enjoyed a drink while chatting with the first lady and Naomi.
At times, their conversation focused on Naomi, who was covered up in a long summer dress. Luckily, Jill was prepared with a book: All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker, recommended by Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of President George W. Bush. Their readings can be seen in a video captured by C-SPANwho managed to position a camera on the beach.
Set in 1975, the novel is about the daughter of a wealthy family in a small Missouri town where girls are disappearing. An Amazon review describes it as “a missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, each with a unique twist.”
Journalists traveling with the president were held back but within range so photographers could capture the first couple during the visit, which occurs during peak tourist season on Delaware beaches.
Biden’s arrival at the beach coincided with a grim statement from the White House National Security Council following an attack by the Israel Defense Forces on a school compound in Gaza.
Beachgoers left the Bidens alone, though he received a round of applause and met with some children.
While Biden is enjoying the beach, Vice President Kamala Harris is on the road, speaking to a crowd at a rally in Arizona on Friday night.
Biden wore sunglasses and a short-sleeved polo shirt as he arrived at the beach. He is scheduled to travel with Harris again next week in Maryland, their first joint trip since dropping out of the 2024 race.
Biden leaned back in his chair, then sat down and chatted with his family.
Although aides kept Biden at a good distance from a press corps following him, he happened to sit across from a D.C. reporter on the beach, which is about three hours from Washington.
The White House issued a sombre statement on the Israeli attack on a school housing displaced people in Gaza
“We are deeply concerned by reports of civilian casualties in Gaza following an Israel Defense Forces attack on a compound that included a school. We are in contact with our Israeli counterparts, who have said they targeted senior Hamas officials, and are asking for more details. We know that Hamas has been using schools as places to meet and operate, but we have also repeatedly and consistently said that Israel must take steps to minimize harm to civilians,” the statement said.
“We mourn the loss of all Palestinian civilians in this conflict, including children, and too many civilians continue to be killed or injured. This underscores the urgency of a ceasefire and an agreement on hostage-taking, which we continue to work tirelessly to achieve,” added National Security Council spokesman Sean Savett.
This came after Harris once again had to confront protesters against Israel’s war on Hamas at her rally in Arizona on Friday night.
This time, rather than simply referring to defeating Trump (a line some allies found cruel), Harris told the crowd at her rally that “the time is now” and told protesters that “I respect your voices.”
The issue is sure to follow her to her party’s convention in Chicago, even as she has pulled ahead of Biden in the polls, taking leads in three key “Blue Wall” states in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll.