President Joe Biden left the White House on Tuesday for a tropical vacation in St. Croix as Americans suffer with extreme cold and snowfall.
Biden and his family will reportedly spend the rest of the year basking in the Caribbean sun near an in-ground pool at a three-bedroom beachfront villa with spacious views on the largest of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Meanwhile, much of the country is experiencing power outages and an increase in fatalities across the Midwest and East Coast, but especially in western New York, where there were at least 32 fatalities in Buffalo’s Erie County amid more than four feet of snow.
This comes after the National Weather System issued a storm warning for the entire country as Americans prepare for an arctic end-of-year. The forecast calls for snow squalls in certain areas of the West, and the agency warned that flash freezes could happen from the Mid-South to the East Coast.
As for Biden, he has a history of staying for free at the homes of affluent Democratic supporters, but it is unknown who owns the vacation home or whether he will be paying for his stay. The St. Croix homeowner refused to give their name or confirm whether Biden will pay.
According to local news sources, Biden visited St. Croix at least five times between 2014 and 2016, and at least once more to celebrate New Year’s Day less than four months before he officially launched his presidential campaign in 2019.
He has been traveling to the Virgin Islands in the winter for years, escaping the chilly weather for highs in the 70s and 80s. Biden went to his brother James’ home on the tiny Water Island in St. Thomas after he and President Barack Obama won the 2008 election.
Biden has unwinded for free at other resorts. For example, the president requested a complimentary stay in August at Maria Allwin’s $20 million vacation home on Kiawah Island, South Carolina, who is the widow of James Allwin, the man who founded the hedge fund. Previously, Biden had stayed there at no cost because his friendship with Allwin developed while serving as vice president.
