Former President Joe Biden just proved that he likes to take leisure time seriously! Amidst the volatile political scenario in the United States, reports indicate that Biden evidently took 577 vacation days during his four years in office, which would break the record for the most time off taken by an in-house president. Joe Biden was the 46th president of the United States, who took office on January 20, 2021. His presidency lasted for one term (four years), from January 20, 2021, to January 20, 2025.
A report released by the National Report Committee documented that Biden spent 40 percent of his term on vacation, breaking the record previously held by George W. Bush, who spent almost 37 percent of his tenure taking days off. In addition, the report also included data about other presidents.
The late President Jimmy Carter took the least time off, spending only 5.4% of his days on vacation. In comparison, Barack Obama spent 11.2% of his term on break, while Bill Clinton’s total reached 11.8%. The RNC initially shared the data at the beginning of 2024, but details obtained by the New York Post revealed that Biden took 43 of the 70 days between his decision to suspend his re-election campaign and the end of his first term as time off.
As per reports, this news matches with claims from Biden’s critics that his age was affecting his ability to take charge. Concerns over his mental fitness ultimately led to his withdrawal from the 2024 election. In August 2024, Biden was seen relaxing with his wife, Jill, at Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, where they own a vacation home. He was also seen waving to cameras while enjoying a bike ride with Secret Service near his residence. Additionally, the pair was spotted sunbathing during a summer trip to Delaware.
Members of his party called Biden ‘Sleepy Joe,’ with several indicating the former president as being old and lacking energy. However, despite Biden himself admitting during his campaign that he needed to avoid overscheduling, doubts remain about the accuracy of the data shared above.
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Similarly, another study by Snopes disclosed that the RNC’s data counted partial days off as full vacation days and included locations where Biden was actively working. The publication suggested that September 3, 2021, was incorrectly labeled as a vacation day, as Joe Biden’s public calendar showed he was in Louisiana addressing hurricane relief measures.
Snopes also reported that Joe Biden took roughly 117 vacation days, accounting for about 8% of his presidency. It also noted that he spent 109 days at Camp David or his residences in Delaware. Meanwhile, as per the New York Times, an average American gets 11 paid vacation days a year, so technically, he would have to work 52 years to stretch up as much downtime as Joe Biden scored in his tenure.
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However, despite discrepancies in Biden’s time off, a Roll Call study from last summer revealed that both Biden and Donald Trump had some of the lowest office hours among modern presidents. The study measured office hours based on the time between a president’s first and last scheduled appointments in a workday.
At 82, President Joe Biden was the oldest person ever to serve in the White House. His age has been the source of constant scrutiny throughout his tenure, along with Donald Trump, who is just a few years younger and who faced a similar situation from the media, which questioned his capability to run through another term.
