President Joe Biden started his second week of vacation on Monday, with no public events planned for the entire week.
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This comes despite his earlier promises to stay focused on policy and legislation during the last months of his term. At 81 years old, Biden is spending the week at his vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, after spending six nights at the ranch of Joe Kiani, a billionaire Democratic donor, in Santa Ynez, California. Kiani’s company has received over $3 million in federal contracts since Biden became president.
According to the White House, Biden will stay in Rehoboth Beach at least until Friday. During this time, former President Donald Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery to honor the third anniversary of the Kabul airport bombing, which killed almost 200 people, including 13 American service members. The bombing happened during Biden's controversial withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
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| AFP via Getty Images |
There are ongoing concerns about Biden's health and ability to do his job, especially after his own party members pushed him to drop out of the 2024 presidential race on July 21 due to worries about his mental sharpness. However, Biden refused to step down, insisting that he is still fit to complete the remaining six months of his term. In a speech on July 24, Biden said, “Over the next six months, I’ll be focused on doing my job as president,” promising to work on lowering costs, growing the economy, and defending civil rights.
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Biden’s limited public appearances have led to doubts about his ability to perform his duties as president. Critics from both parties have questioned whether he is still capable of making important decisions and running the country. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said in July, “If Joe Biden is not fit to run for president, he is not fit to serve as president. He must resign immediately.” Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D-Wash.) also raised concerns about Biden’s decision-making and said that Americans deserve to feel confident that their president can do the job.
During Monday’s conference call, Newsmax journalist James Rosen asked Kirby about Biden’s limited public activities, suggesting that some people believe Biden is no longer fully in charge. Kirby defended Biden, pointing out that the president had spoken with world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and had been closely monitoring events over the weekend. Kirby stressed that even while on vacation, Biden is still fully in control and continues to protect national security both at home and abroad.
Meanwhile, former President Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery with families of the 13 service members killed in the Kabul bombing. Biden and Harris were not present, but they did release statements listing the names of the fallen. The Trump campaign has continued to criticize Biden and Harris for their handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, noting that Harris had said she was closely involved in the decision.