President Joe Biden enjoys a day at the beach at his Rehoboth Beach vacation home, where he and his family are enjoying the waves, while Vice President Kamala Harris carries the load of the campaign.
Biden arrived at his beachside home in Delaware on Thursday night after an emotional visit to his campaign headquarters in Wilmington, after “passing the torch” to Harris, who drew a crowd of 10,000 at a rally in Arizona and is rising in the polls after breathing new life into the race.
Biden, 81, appeared content with his current situation, waving to reporters from a distance as he walked toward the beach on a muggy 80-degree day after the remnants of Hurricane Betty passed.
Beachgoers, accustomed to Biden’s occasional visits, mostly gave him space as he sat with his wife, Jill, and granddaughter, Naomi. Secret Service agents had cleared a large area for them. Two agents dressed in black scanned weekenders with large binoculars from a sand dune above.
On the way, Biden ignored a shouted question about the state of the race and the tense situation in Gaza, preferring to get straight to the business of reliving the situation.
He stopped and talked to a group of children who were approaching, and was applauded as he arrived. A few visitors stood up and stared, open-mouthed.
President Joe Biden spent some time on the beach with granddaughter Naomi and first lady Jill Biden in Rehoboth Beach
When he arrived at his beach camp, he leaned back in his lounge chair, then sat up and enjoyed a drink while chatting with the first lady and Naomi.
Sometimes his conversation focused on Naomi, who covered herself in a long summer dress. Fortunately, Jill had a book with her: All the Colors of the Dark, by Chris Whitaker – which is recommended by Jenna Bush Hager, the daughter of President George W. Bush. Her lectures are featured in videos captured by C-SPANwho managed to place a camera on the beach.
Set in 1975, the novel is about the daughter of a wealthy family in a small Missouri town where girls disappear. An Amazon review calls it a “missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, each with a unique twist.”
Reporters traveling with the president were kept at a distance but within range of photographers so they could capture the first couple during their visit, which comes during peak tourist season on Delaware’s beaches.
Biden’s arrival on the beach coincided with a stark statement from the White House National Security Council following an attack by Israeli forces on a school compound in Gaza.
Beachgoers largely left the Bidens alone, though he received a round of applause and met with a few children
While Biden enjoys the beach, Vice President Kamala Harris is on her way and will speak to a crowd in Arizona on Friday evening.
Biden wore sunglasses and a short-sleeved polo shirt as he headed to the beach. He will be back on the road with Harris in Maryland next week, their first trip together since he dropped out of the 2024 race
Biden leaned back in his chair, sat up and talked to his family
Although Biden’s staff kept him at a fair distance from the press following him, he happened to plop down in front of a Washington reporter on the beach, which is about a three-hour drive from Washington.
The White House has issued a stark statement on the Israeli attack on a school housing displaced people in Gaza
“We are deeply concerned about reports of civilian casualties in Gaza following an attack by the Israel Defense Forces on a school compound. We are in contact with our Israeli counterparts, who have said they attacked senior Hamas officials, and we are asking for more details. We know that Hamas uses schools as staging and operating sites, but we have also repeatedly and consistently said that Israel must take measures to minimize civilian casualties,” the statement said.
“We mourn every Palestinian civilian killed in this conflict, including children, and far too many civilians continue to be killed and injured. This underscores the urgency of a ceasefire and hostage agreement, which we continue to work tirelessly to achieve,” added NSC spokesman Sean Savett.
That came after Harris was again confronted by protesters against Israel’s war on Hamas during her rally in Arizona on Friday night.
This time, Harris didn’t just refer to defeating Trump — a comment some allies saw as insensitive — but told her participants that “the time is now” and told the protesters that “I respect your votes.”
It’s certain to haunt her at the party conference in Chicago, even though she has overtaken Biden in the polls and taken a lead in three “Blue Wall” states in the latest New York Times/Siena College poll.