News Americas, ST. CROIX, USVI, Weds. Dec. 27, 2023: President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are set to uphold a family ritual as they ring in the New Year in the Caribbean again this year.
The US First Couple, joined for the first time by Granddaughter Natalie, arrived in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, earlier today, embarking on their final family vacation before the pivotal 2024 election year kicks off. Natalie Biden, 19, is the eldest child of their late son Beau Biden.
As they prepare for what promises to be a challenging year ahead, the President and the First Lady are set to relish some tranquil moments in the Caribbean before their return to Washington, D.C. Biden in November declared that an emergency existed in the territory of the U.S. Virgin Islands and ordered Federal assistance to supplement the territory’s response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from elevated levels of lead and copper in the water supply beginning on October 25, 2023, and continuing.
The Virgin Islands Consortium reported that security on the island will be heightened for Biden’s visit, which coincides with the annual Crucian Christmas Festival. The Bidens will return to Washington, D.C., after the New Year’s holiday.
In a related note, Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden, along with his son Beau Biden, wife Melissa Cohen Biden, and daughter Ashley Biden, were seen departing the White House for the Christmas holiday at the Camp David presidential retreat near Thurmont, Maryland, on Saturday, December 23, 2023.
The Biden siblings, Hunter and Ashley, left the White House with their families to celebrate Christmas at Camp David, as captured by photographer Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP.
Amid the heightened focus on the Biden family in the lead-up to the election cycle, the President and the First Lady have been deliberately carving out time for family gatherings during the holiday season, including Thanksgiving and Christmas spent away from the capital with relatives.
This past Saturday highlighted a family moment as the President’s children were observed leaving the White House, heading to Camp David for Christmas celebrations. Ashley Biden, alongside her brother Hunter Biden and his young son Beau, made their exit, followed by other members of Hunter’s family, all under the watchful eye of the President.
