President Biden to spend vacation in South Carolina

President Joe Biden, fresh off a coronavirus infection, arrived in South Carolina Wednesday to spend most of next week on vacation at Kiawah Island, an oceanfront golf resort.

The president was greeted in South Carolina by hundreds of people, both supporters and opponents, who lined the road with American flags and placards.

The golf resort at Kiawah is famous for the victory that the U.S. golf team defeated the combined European team in the 1991 Ryder Cup. American Phil Michaelson won the 2021 Professional Golf Association Championship here.

Joe Biden has spent most of his weekends over the past year and a half at his home in Wilmington and at his seaside villa in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It was the president’s first visit to Kiawah since taking office in January 2021.

As vice president, he regularly visited the island south of Charleston.

President Biden, joined by First Lady Jill Biden and other close family members, stayed at a family friend’s home on the island.

The 79-year-old president had just caught COVID-19, and as of Tuesday, he was still suffering from a lingering cough.

In the past, American presidents used to hold press conferences before the August recess, but Joe Biden decided not to continue the tradition.

Before he left, he signed legislation that would expand health care options and benefits for military veterans who were exposed to toxic substances while serving. The day before, the president had achieved legislative successes, including signing a bill Tuesday aimed at boosting the semiconductor industry in the United States.

These victories helped lift Biden’s public approval rating to 40 percent, the highest level since early June, according to a Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll conducted Tuesday.

Despite these victories, Democrats are now debating whether Biden should seek reelection in 2024 or whether the party should find a younger candidate.

White House spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre confirmed Tuesday that Biden plans to run for another four-year term in 2024.