Source: Sputnik News
US President Joe Biden departed to Camp David for a vacation retreat on Friday, even though the US southern border has been swarmed by a record number of migrants, and the Taliban is advancing through Afghanistan as American troops exit the country.
Many noted that it might not be the best time to head for vacation. Some pointed out that the president usually departs Washington DC for Delaware on the weekends, where he spent the last several days before traveling to Camp David.
Among the critics are many Republican officials, some particularly raising eyebrows at the fact that former US President Donald Trump would be lambasted over his frequent visits to the golf course during his tenure, but Biden does not appear to receive the same amount of criticism.
Can you imagine the media outrage if President Trump went on vacation in the middle of a border crisis, inflation crisis, and crisis in Afghanistan?
Because that’s what President Biden is doing this weekend.
— House Judiciary GOP (@JudiciaryGOP) August 13, 2021
Afghanistan is falling. Inflation is skyrocketing. The border is out of control. COVID is still here.
But Joe Biden is going on his 18th vacation to Delaware since taking office… pic.twitter.com/0OBo8509CH
— Rep. Jody Hice (@CongressmanHice) August 13, 2021
GOP Representative Andy Biggs invented his own personal sarcastic nickname for Biden, dubbing him a “commander-in-absence”.
Commander-in-absencehttps://t.co/zE7FO6qb5m #FoxNews
— Rep Andy Biggs (@RepAndyBiggsAZ) August 13, 2021
Other netizens joined the choir of those discontented by the president’s absence in the White House amid rising inflation and the crisis in Afghanistan and on the southern border.
Biden only spent 2 days in the White House then went back on vacation and no one is talking about it
— Jack Posobiec 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) August 13, 2021
The world is on fire, Afghanistan is being overrun, inflation is skyrocketing, our southern border is flooded & Biden is going on vacation.
The first 7 months of the Biden Presidency have been an unmitigated disaster for America. https://t.co/qdgRYIMPWN
— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) August 13, 2021
Some even did the math.
During his first 203 days in office, Joe Biden has made 18 trips to Delaware for a total of 48 vacation days.
Which means he has spent 23.6% of his days as president vacationing.
— Cassandra (@CassyWearsHeels) August 12, 2021
The backlash flocks Twitter threads even though White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki observed that “every president is always working no matter where they are”.
Some experts, like the director of the Center for Presidential History at Southern Methodist University Jeffrey Engel, say that vacation for the president really means “working two-thirds of a day as opposed to what they might do in Washington.”