President Biden is currently on track to outpace former President Trump for the number of days he’s spent away from the White House, according to an analysis conducted by CNN.
The report found that Biden has taken 35 personal trips and has spent all or part of 108 of his first 276 days in office at either one of his Delaware homes or at Camp David. Of those trips away from the White House, 69 days were spent at his home in Wilmington, Del.; seven days at his beach house in Rehoboth Beach, Del.; and 32 days were spent at Camp David.
At this point in his own presidency, Trump had spent less time away at his homes in Florida and New Jersey, according to CNN. In comparison, former President Obama had taken three vacations at this point in his presidency spread out across 15 days.
Former President George W. Bush had spent slightly more time than either Obama or Trump outside the White House in comparison at this point in his first term, 84 days away, often going to Camp David or his family’s ranch in Texas.
These frequent getaways are not uncommon for U.S. presidents, CNN noted, with many prioritizing time away from the White House. Shortly after he assumed office, Biden compared life at the White House to living in a “gilded cage.”
“I get up in the morning and look at Jill and say, ‘Where the hell are we?’” he said during a CNN town hall in February.
During his time as a senator from Delaware, Biden was known for frequently commuting via rail between Washington and Delaware, earning the nickname “Amtrak Joe.”
“He’s tied to Delaware,” one adviser told The Hill earlier this year. “The White House is a very constricting place.”
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told CNN, “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.”
“Wherever he is, the President spends every day working to defeat the pandemic, to ensure our economy delivers for the middle class — not just those at the top — and to protect our national security. Also, as all Americans can agree, it’s important for leaders to avoid becoming ensconced in Washington, DC,” Bates added.
The Hill has reached out to the White House for further comment.