As of August 7, 2023, President Joe Biden just took his 367th day of vacation in just 2.5 years, which sets a record compared to any other president in recent history.
Biden has been on vacation for roughly 40% of his time in office. He is outpacing every single one of his modern predecessors.
Critics have pointed out that Biden has been on vacation for an entire year, even though his vacation days are not consecutive.
Biden — making a mid-morning return to the office after 11 straight days on vacation — once again ignores questions from the press pic.twitter.com/U2tpOaNgYP
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 7, 2023
According to the Republican National Committee, Barack Obama spent 328 days (11.2%) on vacation while George W. Bush spent 1,020 days (34.9%) and Bill Clinton spent 345 days (11.8%).
Ronald Reagan spent 335 days (11.5%) on vacation, Donald Trump spent 381 days (26%), George H.W. Bush 41 spent 533 days (36.5%), and Jimmy Carter spent 79 days (5.4%) on vacation.
Biden has spent most of his vacation time at his home in Delaware, either at his house in Wilmington or his beach house in Rehoboth Beach. He has also taken several trips to Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. In addition, Biden has made two trips to the U.S. Virgin Islands and one trip to South Carolina.
Biden’s supporters have defended his vacation time, saying that he needs to take breaks from the stresses of the presidency. They also point out that Biden’s vacations are often work-related, as he meets with foreign leaders and conducts other official business while he is away from Washington, D.C.
However, Biden’s critics have accused him of being out of touch with the American people, who are struggling with high inflation and other economic challenges. They also say that Biden’s frequent vacations are a waste of taxpayer money.
Biden’s time spent on vacation also isn’t helping him in the polls. A Gallup Poll, conducted from July 1-10, 2023, found that Biden’s approval rating is 38%, with 59% disapproving. This is the lowest approval rating of Biden’s presidency so far.
FiveThirtyEight’s Presidential Approval Tracker averages the results of many different polls to give a more accurate picture of Biden’s approval rating. As of August 4, 2023, Biden’s approval rating is 40.6%, with 55.2% disapproving.
A Reuters/Ipsos Poll, conducted from July 27-30, 2023, found that Biden’s approval rating is 40%, with 56% disapproving. The poll also found that the economy is the top concern for Americans, with 21% saying it is their top issue.
CNN’s “Poll of Polls”, conducted from July 1-31, 2023, found that Biden’s approval rating is 41%, with 53% disapproving. The poll also found that Biden’s approval rating is lower among independent voters (35%) and Republicans (10%) than it is among Democrats (80%).
An ABC News/Ipsos Poll, conducted from July 20-22, 2023, found that Biden’s approval rating is 39%, with 56% disapproving. The poll also found that 62% of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction.
