Joe Biden sported a sunburn as he returned to Washington DC from his New Year’s vacation in St Croix – just nine months after he had surgery to remove a cancerous skin lesion from his chest.
Upon return to the White House, the President answered one question from the press when pushed on what was going to be done about the border crisis this year.
‘We gotta do something, they gotta give me the money I need to protect the border,’ Biden said, after officials revealed over 302,000 people crossed the border illegally in December.
It is the highest total for a single month ever recorded in history and it marks the first time migrant encounters have reached over 300,000.
The president’s sunburn was notable just nine months after he’d had surgery to remove skin cancer from his chest during his annual physical.
President Joe Biden sported a bright red sunburn as he returned from his vacation in St. Croix over the holiday season, just nine months after he had surgery to remove a cancerous skin lesion from his chest
The president’s sunburn was notable just nine months after he’d had surgery to remove skin cancer from his chest during his annual physical
The 81-year-old president will continue to have regular skin screenings as part of his ongoing health care, but the biopsy site has ‘healed nicely,’ the White House physician Kevin O’Connor added in March.
Biden had ‘several localized non-melanoma skin cancers’ removed from his body before he started his presidency, O’Connor said in his February 16 summary of the president’s physical.
He also acknowledged that Biden spent a lot of time in the sun in his youth. In evaluating the president, O’Connor deemed him still physically fit for office and described Biden as ‘healthy’ and ‘vigorous.’
The president is not the only member of the family to be diagnosed with skin cancer.
First lady Jill Biden in January had two basal cell lesions removed from her right eye and chest. All cancerous cells were removed.
The Bidens are fond of going to the beach and often wind down by spending time in the sun. The couple is also known to ride bikes frequently.
The president got his annual checkup before announcing potential plans to run for a second term in the White House.
At the time of the physical in February, O’Connor noted Biden had a lesion removed, and results would be available later.
Upon return to the White House, the red-faced Biden answered just one question from the press corps when pushed on what was going to be done about the border crisis this year
‘We gotta do something, they gotta give me the money I need to protect the border,’ Biden said, after officials revealed that over 302,000 people crossed the border illegally in December
O’Connor said Biden’s gait ‘remains stiff,’ but noted it has not worsened since the president’s last examination.
A detailed ‘neurologic exam’ also found nothing ‘consistent with any cerebellar or central neurological disorder.’
Biden didn’t receive a cognitive test despite some calls from Republicans. They are questioning his fitness to run for office, which they are expected to use as a political issue in the next election.
He is already the oldest president in U.S. history, and if he wins another term, he will be 82 at the time of his second inauguration.
The president, the first lady and granddaughter Natalie departed St Croix on Tuesday, leaving the sunny skies of the Caribbean for the political storms of Washington DC.
The president was only seen in public once during his week on the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands. He attended mass and took his family out to dinner. Otherwise he stayed behind the gated walls of his luxury private villa with its private beach and he left sporting a tan.
Awaiting Biden in D.C. is a government funding fight that could lead to a shutdown as soon as January 19, uncertain funding for Ukraine amid a battle on border security, questions about his 2024 prospects, dire polls and an increase in attacks on U.S. troops in the 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 aerial attack on the Ukraine and Japan was hit with a massive earthquake.
Biden was sporting a tan as he left the island on Tuesday evening
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden departed St. Croix on Tuesday
Biden boards Air Force One en route back to Washington, D.C.
The president was only seen in public once during his week on the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands before his departure
He took wife Jill and granddaughter Natalie out to dinner in St. Croix on Saturday, eating at a local restaurant in downtown Christiansted.
The family appeared to be having a good time on their trip. The president, 81, said his new year’s resolution is ‘to come back next year.’
‘I know you guys hate this assignment down here. I’m sorry to bring you down here,’ he joked to the reporters questioning him after he left the restaurant.
The Bidens visited Too.Chez, which is known for its seafood cooked by a team of father and son chefs. They are known locally for having the best catch of the day.
Biden appeared to enjoy his night out. He stopped to talk to patrons dining on the restaurant’s porch as he exited the building. And there were several around of applause heard before he came out of the dining establishment.
Earlier Saturday, the president went to church. A devout Catholic, he rarely misses weekend mass. Neither Jill nor Natalie accompanied to the service at Holy Cross Catholic Church.
Jill Biden exits Too.Chez restaurant in downtown Christiansted in St. Croix
The Biden family stayed rent-free a a villa that sits on Solitude Bay, which has access to a private beach and is owned by Democratic donors Bill and Connie Neville
The Biden family are staying rent-free at a beachfront villa owned by friends Bill and Connie Neville, who made their fortune in the tech industry and attended the White House state dinner with French President Emmanuel Macron.
The property is in an area where homes can sell for up to $3million and has three bedrooms, a pool and access to a private beach.
The Bidens also spent last year at the Neville home.
Biden will have a full schedule at the White House on Wednesday as he deals with a looming government shutdown.
When lawmakers return after the new year, they will have just eight legislative days before the first deadline of January 19, which would close parts of the government, and another four before the second deadline of February 2, which would result in a full government shutdown.
Members of Congress left Washington for their holiday break without an agreement on overall spending levels, which are critical to negotiating a broader funding deal.
They and President Biden also remain locked in a stalemate over funding for the Ukraine and protecting the southern border.
Biden has asked Congress for $61 billion in aid to Ukraine, but Republicans are refusing to approve the assistance without an agreement with Democrats to tighten security along the U.S.-Mexico border. His request also includes $14 billion for Israel as it fights Hamas and $14 billion for U.S. border security.
Biden, on Wednesday, announced a $250 million weapons package to Ukraine in what officials said would be a final amount of aid from the U.S. unless Congress approves new funding.
The White House has warned that unless Congress appropriates additional aid for Kyiv, the funds will run out at year’s end.
Biden and his Democrats have offered major concessions on border security to try and get a deal in place, including raising the standards for asylum-seekers and expanding the president’s power to quickly remove migrants who cross the border.
But Republicans have remained non-committal.
Immigration has entrenched itself into Biden’s foreign policy and is a political hot potato for the president as he seeks a second term in office. Republicans – and even some Democrats – have criticized him for not doing enough to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
Donald Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination, repeatedly hammers Biden for not doing enough to stop border crossings.
Last month saw a record number of border crossings.
Between Dec. 1 and December 31, more than 302,000 migrants were documented attempting to cross the U.S. southern border.
It is the highest total for a single month ever recorded in history and it marks the first time migrant encounters have reached over 300,000.
The border has been a headache for Biden for months and his approval ratings continue to plummet with only 38 percent of voters saying they approve of his handling of immigration, compared with 46 percent in November.
Republicans took advantage of President Biden going on vacation to hammer him for heading to the Caribbean while the crisis grows.
Meanwhile, the start of 2024 is also the official kickoff for the next presidential election.
Biden saw some concerning numbers in the first poll of the new year. Trump beat him with two key voter groups, giving the former president an overall lead in the White House race.
Trump leads Biden among Hispanic voters by five points, 39%-34% and among younger voters by three points, 37%-34%, according to a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll.
Donald Trump is leading Biden in a new USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll; the Republican primary process begins in January
Biden won both those voting groups in the 2020 presidential contest, where he defeated Trump to win the White House. Monday’s poll also shows Biden is losing support among black voters, another key voting bloc.
He now has the support of just 63% of black voters, a group he carried by a whooping 87% in 2020.
Overall, the poll found that Trump in the lead at 39% to Biden’s 37% with 17% supporting an unnamed third-party candidate.
When third-party candidates were specified by name, Trump’s lead increased to 37% to Biden’s 34%, with independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at the top of the third-party candidates at 10%.
The overall trend is worrisome for Biden, particularly with 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 looks to have gone to third-party contenders. The poll found that 20% of Hispanic and black voters, along with 21% of young voters, say they’ll back someone other than the two main contenders.
Multiple polls have shown voters want an alternative candidate for the 2024 presidential contest, 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 when it’s completed.
However, in the poll, 74% of likely Democratic primary voters support Biden with only 9% backing author Marianne Williamson and 2% supporting Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips.
Trump, 77, leads polls for the Republican nomination. The first nominating contests begin in a few weeks.