President Joe Biden has largely withdrawn from public view in recent weeks despite declaring the Gaza conflict his top priority before leaving office.

According to Fox News, the president has spent considerable time vacationing since endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris as the Democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential election on July 21.

Biden's retreat from the public eye comes at a critical time, with the situation in the Middle East becoming increasingly volatile.

The president's absence has drawn criticism from political opponents and raised concerns about leadership at the White House during international tension.

Biden's Vacation Schedule Amidst Gaza Crisis

Since his endorsement of Harris, Biden has split his time between vacations and weekend retreats. He has spent every weekend either at his Rehoboth Beach home in Delaware or at Camp David, the presidential retreat.

Following his speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Biden and his family vacationed at the California estate of Joe Kiani, a wealthy Democratic donor.

The president is currently on another vacation at his Delaware home, with no public events scheduled for the week. The White House has informed the press that "The President and the First Lady will remain in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware."

This pattern of frequent vacations stands in stark contrast to Biden's July 22 declaration that ending the war in Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas would be his top priority for his remaining time in office.

Criticism Mounts As Middle East Conflict Intensifies

Biden's extended absences from Washington have not gone unnoticed by his critics. Representative Byron Donalds, a Republican from Florida, expressed uncertainty about the leadership at the White House, stating bluntly, "I'm not quite sure who's running the place."

Former President Donald Trump has also seized the opportunity to attack Biden's leadership. Trump criticized the lack of clear direction in Middle East negotiations, asking rhetorically, "Who is negotiating for us in the Middle East? Bombs are dropping all over the place!"

Trump further emphasized his concerns in a statement, saying:

We don't even have a president. We have a fascist person running who's incompetent, and we have a president who's not even around. He went to California for a vacation because they threw him essentially out of the party. And then he came back home and I said, oh, is he going to go to the White House? No, he went to Delaware to take another vacation. And you got Russia over there with nuclear threats. We're going to have a president. We've got to have a real president that's respected.

White House Defense Of Presidential Engagement

In response to the growing criticism, the White House has maintained that Biden remains actively engaged in his duties, regardless of his location.

White House spokesperson Saloni Sharma defended the president's work ethic and accomplishments in a statement to Fox News.

Sharma emphasized that there is "no such thing as a presidential 'vacation'" and that the president is "always working wherever he goes." She highlighted Biden's ongoing diplomatic efforts with leaders from Israel, Egypt, and Qatar to secure a hostage deal and ceasefire in Gaza.

The spokesperson also pointed to Biden's domestic and international achievements, including creating "the strongest economy in the world, rallying the world to stand up to Putin, and finally putting us in a position to outcompete China."

Ongoing Challenges In The Middle East

While Biden has been away from the public eye, the situation in the Middle East has continued to deteriorate. Cease-fire talks have made little progress since the end of July, and the conflict appears to be at risk of expanding rather than de-escalating.

Israel has recently launched and received significant attacks from Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed terrorist group based in Lebanon. This escalation of violence underscores the urgent need for active and visible leadership in addressing the complex geopolitical challenges in the region.

As tensions rise and criticism mounts, many are looking to the White House for clearer direction and more visible engagement in efforts to stabilize the Middle East. The coming weeks will likely be crucial in determining whether Biden's approach to the Gaza conflict and broader regional issues will yield positive results or face continued scrutiny.