President Joe Biden, first lady Jill Biden and granddaughter Natalie departed St. Croix on Tuesday, leaving sunny Caribbean skies to the political storms of Washington, DC
The president was seen in public only once during his week in the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands. He attended mass and went out to dinner with his family. Otherwise, he stayed behind the gated walls of his luxurious private villa with a private beach and went tanned.
Awaiting Biden in DC is a battle over government funding that could lead to a shutdown as early as Jan. 19, uncertain funding for Ukraine amid a fight over border security, questions about his 2024 prospects, poor polling and a rise in… Attacks on US troops in Washington Middle East.
The President did some work during his vacation. He was briefed daily by his national security team and released statements after Russia launched a massive airstrike on Ukraine and a massive earthquake hit Japan.
He took his wife, Jill, and granddaughter, Natalie, to St. Croix for dinner on Saturday and ate at a local restaurant in downtown Christiansted.
Biden was tanned when he left the island on Tuesday evening
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden left St. Croix on Tuesday
Biden boards Air Force One on the way back to Washington, DC
The president was seen in public only once during his week in the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands before his departure
The family seemed to have a good time on their trip. The 81-year-old president said his New Year's resolution was to “come back next year.”
“I know you hate this mission down here. “I’m sorry to bring you here,” he joked to reporters who questioned him after he left the restaurant.
The Bidens visited Too.Chez, known for its seafood prepared by a team of father and son chefs. They are known locally for having the best catch of the day.
Biden seemed to enjoy his evening. As he exited the building, he stopped to talk to customers sitting on the restaurant's porch. And before he left the restaurant there was a lot of applause.
The president went to church early Saturday. As a devout Catholic, he rarely misses weekend mass. Neither Jill nor Natalie attended the service at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
Jill Biden leaves Too.Chez restaurant in downtown Christiansted on St. Croix
The Biden family lived rent-free in a villa on Solitude Bay, which has access to a private beach and is owned by Democratic donors Bill and Connie Neville
The Biden family lives rent-free in a beachfront villa owned by friends Bill and Connie Neville, who made their fortune in the technology industry and attended the White House state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron.
Located in an area where homes can sell for up to $3 million, the property features three bedrooms, a pool and access to a private beach.
The Bidens also spent last year at the Neville house.
Biden will have a busy schedule at the White House on Wednesday as he deals with the looming government shutdown.
When lawmakers return after the new year, they will have just eight legislative days until the first deadline on Jan. 19, which would result in a shutdown of parts of the government, and another four until the second deadline on Feb. 2, which would result in a full would lead to a government shutdown.
Members of Congress left Washington on vacation without reaching an agreement on the level of overall spending that is crucial to negotiating a broader funding deal.
She and President Biden remain in a standoff over funding for Ukraine and protecting the southern border.
Biden has asked Congress for $61 billion in aid for Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the aid without reaching a deal with Democrats to tighten security along the U.S.-Mexico border . His request also includes $14 billion for Israel in the fight against Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border security.
Biden announced a $250 million arms package for Ukraine on Wednesday. Officials said it would be the final amount of U.S. aid unless Congress approves new funding.
The White House has warned that the funds will run out by the end of the year unless Congress approves additional aid for Kyiv.
Biden and his fellow Democrats made major concessions on border security to reach a deal, including raising standards for asylum seekers and expanding the president's authority to quickly deport migrants who cross the border.
But the Republicans remained noncommittal.
Immigration has a permanent place in Biden's foreign policy and is a political hot potato for the president, who is seeking a second term. Republicans — and even some Democrats — have criticized him for not doing enough to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
The villa where the Bidens stayed has a tiled infinity pool
The house is colorfully decorated and has a private beach
Biden attended mass at Holy Cross Catholic Church in downtown Christiansted
Donald Trump, the leading candidate for the Republican nomination, has repeatedly accused Biden of not doing enough to stop border crossings.
Last month saw a record number of border crossings.
Between December 1 and December 31, more than 302,000 migrants were documented attempting to cross the U.S. southern border.
This is the highest total for a single month ever recorded in history and marks the first time that the number of migrant encounters has exceeded 300,000.
Thousands more were expected to arrive in the coming days in the form of a massive migrant caravan heading through Mexico to the southern border. Videos and photos show the massive march, with families carrying large crosses and their possessions on their way to the United States.
The border has been a headache for Biden for months, and his approval ratings continue to slide: Only 38 percent of voters say they approve of his handling of immigration, compared to 46 percent in November.
Republicans used President Biden's vacation to lambast him for traveling to the Caribbean as the crisis mounted.
Biden is not the first to face partisan criticism for vacationing, while former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump are all under scrutiny for time spent away from the capital .
And while Biden is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, members of Congress are at home in their congressional districts, meaning there are virtually no politicians in Washington, DC.
“Joe Biden is vacationing in the Virgin Islands while the southern border is in crisis,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said earlier this week.
Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-Wis.) criticized Biden for being “on vacation AGAIN while our southern border is being invaded by illegal aliens.”
The beginning of 2024 is now also the official starting signal for the next presidential election.
Biden saw some worrying numbers in the first poll of the new year. Trump beat him with two key groups of voters, giving the former president an overall lead in the race for the White House.
Trump leads Biden by five points (39-34%) among Hispanic voters and three points (37-34%) among younger voters, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll.
Biden won both electoral colleges in the 2020 presidential race, where he defeated Trump and won the White House. Monday's poll also shows Biden losing support among black voters, another key voting bloc.
He now has the support of just 63% of Black voters, a group he led with a whopping 87% in 2020.
Overall, the poll showed Trump leading at 39%, ahead of Biden at 37%, with 17% supporting an unnamed third-party candidate.
Donald Trump leads Biden in new USA TODAY/Suffolk University poll; The Republican primary process begins in January
When third-party candidates were named, Trump's lead increased to 37% to Biden's 34%, with independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leading the third-party candidates with 10%.
The overall trend is worrisome for Biden, particularly among younger voters who overwhelmingly supported him four years ago and are largely at odds with Republicans on issues such as abortion access and climate change.
And some of the president's support appears to have gone to third-party candidates. The poll found that 20% of Hispanic and black voters and 21% of young voters say they would support someone other than the two main candidates.
Multiple polls have shown that voters want an alternative candidate for the 2024 presidential race, citing concerns about Biden's age. At 81, he is the oldest American president in history. If he wins a second term, he would be 86 at the end.
However, in the poll, 74% of likely Democratic primary voters support Biden, with just 9% supporting author Marianne Williamson and 2% supporting Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota.
Trump, 77, is leading the polls for the Republican nomination. The first nomination competitions will begin in a few weeks.