Bad weather continues to ravage large parts of the U.S., already causing dozens of deaths and transportation collapse. But instead of dealing with this crisis, the president chose to spend his New Year’s vacation on the island of Santa Cruz. Moreover, it’s highly likely that the White House head’s vacation will be paid for not by himself, but by one of the Democratic Party’s wealthy sponsors, writes the New York Post.
Most of the United States is suffering from severe cold and snowfall, which led to the deaths of at least 65 people and the cancellation of 10 thousand flights. And what is President Biden doing at such a difficult time for the country? He flew on a tropical vacation to St. Croix to celebrate the New Year there, the New York Post reports.
The 80-year-old commander in chief will bask in the Caribbean sun near an underground pool at a three-bedroom beachfront villa with a stunning view of the largest of the Virgin Islands. Meanwhile, traffic chaos, widespread power outages and an increase in fatalities caused by the storm continue in the Midwest and East Coast, especially in New York state, the publication notes.
It’s not yet clear who owns the suburban property where Biden is vacationing and whether he will pay for his stay. But he’s stayed in the homes of wealthy Democratic Party sponsors more than once for free, notes the New York Post.
The day before, the president, along with First Lady Jill Biden, his daughter Ashley, her husband Howard Crane and two grandchildren, boarded the number one flight. It is still unknown whether other family members who normally participate in such trips, including the White House chief of staff’s son Hunter, who has been implicated in high-profile scandals, made the trip.
In November, the oldest president in U.S. history said he planned to make a final decision on reelection in “early” 2023. Before that, he admitted, he and the first lady need to “sneak away for a week,” recalls the New York Post.
In the past, Biden has often vacationed at other people’s expense. In August, for example, he asked to stay for free at a $20 million country house on Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The mansion belongs to the widow of businessman James Olwyn, who Biden became friends with during his vice presidency. Early in his career in the ’70s and ’80s, the politician also often spent winters in the Virgin Islands, according to the newspaper.
If Biden doesn’t pay for his vacation to St. Croix, he is required to report it in his annual financial report, which is published in May, it says. That form is not strictly required, but it could give grounds for scrutiny to the Republicans who will lead the lower house of Congress next year.
Biden has never disclosed vacation spending in the Virgin Islands during his vice presidency. However, the politician also did not list any free lodging at the Olwyn home on Kiawah, despite the fact that, according to the New York Post, he “never paid.”