Data compiled by the Republican National Committee reveals that President Joe Biden has spent approximately 40 percent of his time as president away from the White House. According to White House reports on Biden’s movements, this equates to 382 out of 957 days in the presidency.
This information, corroborated by the New York Post, has raised concerns among critics. Representative Elise Stefanik highlighted various pressing issues facing the country, including immigration, rising crime rates, and inflation, while expressing disappointment that Biden spent a considerable amount of time away from the Oval Office.
Biden’s absence from the White House also garnered attention when he was seen reading documents under an umbrella shortly before Devon Archer’s testimony implicated him in his son Hunter Biden’s foreign business dealings. Currently, the President is on vacation with First Lady Jill Biden for Labor Day weekend in Delaware.
Comparatively, Biden has surpassed previous presidents in terms of time spent away from the White House. Notably, he exceeded the 36 percent of personal time taken by President George H.W. Bush and the 26 percent by former President Donald Trump.
In October 2022, CNN reported that Biden had spent over a quarter of his time in office between his Delaware homes. The White House has defended his frequent departures, emphasizing the importance of staying connected to his roots and family. White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates argued that presidents are continuously working, whether they are on a state visit abroad or a short trip outside of Washington, D.C.
It’s noteworthy that Biden’s periods away from the Oval Office appear to coincide with some of the most significant and challenging moments of his presidency, such as the fall of Kabul to the Taliban and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.