President Joe Biden will travel to the U.S. Virgin Islands on Tuesday for vacation, after telling reporters he has “more important” things to do than visit the southern border.
“The President and the First Lady will travel to St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands where they will celebrate the New Year with their family,” the White House readout read.
Biden has spent more than a quarter of his presidency away from the White House vacationing in Delaware, CNN reported in October. The president also told reporters on Dec. 6 that he would not be visiting the border while in Arizona “because there are more important things going on.”
US President Joe Biden delivers a Christmas address from the Cross Hall of the White House in Washington, DC, on December 22, 2022. (Photo by Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP) (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
When pressed on why the president didn’t make the trip to the nearby border, Biden senior adviser Keisha Lance Bottoms questioned whether a visit to the border was “the best use of resources.”
“When the president travels, it’s not like you or I jumping on an airplane, then getting off and going to our destination. Everything comes to a halt. So all of these things are in consideration for the president. Is that the best use of resources? All of the resources that will be diverted on the ground when the president makes a visit?” Bottoms said.
The southern border has experienced a record-breaking number of illegal immigrants crossing into the U.S. during Biden’s presidency. Fiscal year 2022 ended with more than 2.3 million migrant encounters by federal authorities. Suicides by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have also been on the rise in recent months. (RELATED: Here’s How Many Migrants Have Crossed The Southern Border Under Biden— That We Know Of)
The last time Biden has been near the border was in 2008 when he drove by, former White House press secretary Jen Psaki said in 2021.