Less than six months into a tenure bogged down by the coronavirus pandemic, soaring gun violence and a crisis at the southern border, President Joe Biden has already spent more weekends away from the White House than any of his modern predecessors at the same point in their term.
Speaking with CNN under the condition of anonymity, a source familiar with the president’s thinking said Biden sees the White House ‘more like a Monday-through-Friday kind of place.’
The building that was once home to nearly all of Biden’s predecessors, including his former boss President Barack Obama, is now more like ‘really, really high-end corporate housing’ for its current occupant.
The building that was once home to nearly all of Biden’s predecessors, including his former boss President Barack Obama, is now more like ‘really, really high-end corporate housing’ for its current occupant
Out of the 19 weekends he has been president, Biden has only spent five at the White House.
Members of his staff have told CNN that Biden would even leave the residence on short notice when his schedule would say otherwise – for a weekly breather – despite the nearly 55,000 square foot of space containing amenities including a bowling alley, a movie theater and a tennis pavilion.
‘Even if it’s Tuesday and the schedule says he will be at the White House for that weekend – or it doesn’t say he’s going anywhere – in the back of my mind, I know he’s going to not be at the White House,’ a member of Biden’s entourage told CNN.
Even during his decades-long career as a senator, Biden was known for fleeing Washington, DC in favor of spending most nights and weekends home in Delaware.
Biden has spent 14 of the last 19 weekends away from the White House, including Memorial Day weekend
He was dubbed ‘Amtrak Joe’ for the effort and was honored by his home Wilmington station when they re-christened the depot the Joseph R. Biden Jr. Railroad Station.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Andrew Bates defended Biden’s choice to continue some form of his tradition as president.
‘Presidents of the United States are constantly on the job, regardless of their location – whether they’re on a state visit overseas or just 100 miles from the White House for a short trip to Wilmington, DE. And as all Americans can agree, it’s important for leaders to avoid becoming ensconced in Washington, DC,’ he told CNN in a statement.
Biden previously expressed feeling ‘extremely self-conscious’ about being waited on, as he would be now by dozens of White House staff, at a CNN town hall in February.
He had compared it to a ‘gilded cage in terms of being able to walk outside and do things.’
However, some people back in the nation’s capital seemingly wish he felt differently.
Biden returned on Monday, when he paid respects to fallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery
‘The staff work there because they want to serve the president and the first lady, someone who works in the residence told CNN. ‘I think it’s lonely for them at times. You miss taking care of the principals.’
Another source at the White House speculated there might be some awkwardness felt by Biden in moving into his old boss’s house – comparing it to ‘moving into your ex’s place.’
‘It wasn’t an issue for Trump, or Obama, who didn’t go there as a second-lieutenant, but for someone like Biden who spent so much time at the White House over the years meeting with his ‘boss,’ it could be weird to basically move into that person’s old apartment,’ the source said.
Despite Biden’s frequent getaways, he by no means is the first president looking for a breather. Past presidents including Lyndon Johnson and Ronald Reagan were known to spend time at family homes during their tenures.
Biden appears to have spent less time on the golf course than his predecessor. He is pictured during a round at the Wilmington Country Club on April 17
More recently, former President Donald Trump was heavily criticized for how much of his last four years he spent at his many golf courses.
A website called ‘Trump Golf Count‘ that claims to keep a record of ‘daytime visits to golf clubs since inauguration’ estimates that he had 298 of those visits from 2017 through 2020.
Those visits have cost taxpayers nearly $150 million, according to the site.
Biden appears to have spent less time on the golf course than his predecessor. His first outing was in mid-April, by when Trump had already racked up 19 separate visits.
Biden and first lady Dr. Jill Biden marked this past Memorial Day weekend in their home state, where he delivered an emotional speech in New Castle, Delaware where he invoked his late son and military veteran Beau Biden.
He also traveled to Virginia with Vice President Kamala Harris to commemorate fallen soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday.