CHRISTIANSTED (AP) — After two days out of sight while vacationing in St. Croix, President Joe Biden ventured out Friday for a round of golf and dinner with his wife and grandchildren.
Biden and grandson Hunter, 16, played on the 18-hole course at the Buccaneer Beach and Golf Resort in Estate Shoys. The course features spectacular views of the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean Sea and the island’s northeast coastline.
Later Friday, Biden and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, taped an interview that will air Saturday night on ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.” They also took Hunter and his sister, Natalie, out for dinner at one of the island’s top restaurants called “Savant” near Gallows Bay.
When reporters outside the restaurant asked Biden about the 2024 presidential election, he joked, “There’s an election coming up?” He went on to say that “2023 is going to be a good year.”
Biden has said his intention is to seek reelection in 2024.
After spending Christmas at the White House, Biden arrived in St. Croix late Tuesday to spend time with family between holidays and to celebrate a new year.
Biden opened the first day of the new year by watching its first sunrise and attending Mass at a Roman Catholic church in St. Croix.
Biden worshipped Sunday at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Christiansted, where he has attended religious services during his past visits to the “Big Island.”
Asked about any New Year’s resolutions as he exited church, Biden replied, “Good year next year. Looking forward to it.” He flashed a thumbs up.
Biden and his wife, first lady Jill Biden, woke up at 6:30 am to watch the sunrise from the secluded beach outside the home where they are staying in the Solitude Bay area of St. Croix, White House officials said.
A holiday tradition of theirs while on the island has been to join scores of residents at Point Udall, the easternmost point on the island, to watch the first sunrise of a new year. Biden, who travels with a heavy security presence, stayed away on Sunday.
He spent New Year’s Eve at the home, which is owned by their friends Bill and Connie Neville.
Before time ran out on 2022, Biden and the first lady wished their fellow Americans a happy new year during a taped appearance on Saturday’s broadcast of ABC’s “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest.”
Asked about his message for 2023, Biden said “optimism.”
“I’ve never been more optimistic about America in my whole career. And you know, the interesting thing is we’ve been through so much, so much difficulty, the pandemic, through a whole range of things. Look at how the American people fought back and they got up. There’s nothing that can hold them down. We’re the most unique country in the world, we’re a product of possibilities. That’s what we believe in and so I just think, I’m really optimistic.’’
The first lady encouraged people to “commit to an act of kindness” and “ to take care of one another and especially take care of your health this year.”
“Go get that COVID vaccine and get your flu shot,” she said.
Biden has kept a relatively low profile since arriving on St. Croix after dark last Tuesday.
Besides his grandchildren and wife, the president was accompanied to the island by his daughter Ashley and her husband, Howard Krein. Biden is staying in a home owned by his friends Bill and Connie Neville.
He was scheduled to return to the White House sometime today.
