Former President Joe Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris do not seem to be having an easy time these past few days. They had quite the reaction to President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) passing both chambers of Congress earlier this week. It was signed into law by Trump for the 4th of July holiday. Speaking of the holiday, Biden and Harris seemed to have a rather memorable day, and not for the best reasons.
On Friday, the former president put out a post for Independence Day, though like so many other fellow Democrats, he spoke about "democracy," even as we're a constitutional republic.
Today is about freedom. It’s about liberty. It’s about who we are. We’re the United States of America, and nothing like it exists in the world. As we celebrate our nation’s independence, we must also remember that democracy is never guaranteed—every generation must fight to… pic.twitter.com/sWmdc7N0a1
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 4, 2025
As the New York Post covered, the Bidens are spending their first post-presidency 4th of July holiday near son Hunter Biden's house in Malibu. Pictures from Thursday show an all too familiar scene of Biden not only at the beach, but of him struggling to set up beach chairs.
As the piece mentioned:
What a difference a year makes.
Former President Joe Biden was snapped struggling to set up a beach chair Thursday before catching some rays with family near his son Hunter’s home in Malibu, Calif., to kick off his first Independence Day weekend since leaving office.
The ex-commander-in-chief — who took more vacation days than any modern US president — looked right at home lounging under a red umbrella with former first lady Jill Biden, while granddaughter Finnegan and grandson Beau Biden Jr. frolicked in the sand nearby.
...
Thursday’s photos show the 82-year-old former Delaware senator and vice president happily shaking sand from his towel while wearing his signature aviator sunglasses and presidential baseball cap, before packing up.
Onlookers later spotted the elder Biden dining with Hunter at his favorite sushi joint Nobu later on Thursday after having given a keynote address at a human resources conference in San Diego earlier this week.
“I do not want you to miss any important family obligations for work,” the ex-president told the Society for Human Resource Management of his instructions to White House staff.
“There are moments we’ll never get back,” the former president warned attendees.
The Malibu beach trip took place one year and six days after Biden’s halting and at times incoherent debate performance against Donald Trump that ultimately forced him from the 2024 race.
Biden struggles to set up beach chair in Malibu during first Fourth of July weekend since leaving office https://t.co/oQN0GolDqK pic.twitter.com/eCHpOdmO6c
— New York Post (@nypost) July 4, 2025
Biden not only took more vacation days than any other modern president, taking off close to 600 days and 40 percent of his presidency, but he was also away for some rather important occasions.
Who can forget how he ignored the press while vacationing in Rehoboth Beach as Maui was burning in August 2023, and said he had "no comment" when returning home?
After a couple hours on the Rehoboth beach, @potus was asked about the rising death toll in Hawaii
— Justin Sink (@justinsink) August 13, 2023
“No comment,” he said before heading home pic.twitter.com/Y0UmXirju9
Joe Biden has "no comment" on the hardship and devastation these Americans have seen firsthand.
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 14, 2023
His smirk while on vacation says it all. pic.twitter.com/oCdHoeZTTe
As for Harris, Matt covered on Friday how she not only expressed doom and gloom, but included a picture from last year, with her and then Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff watching fireworks from the White House. Biden and then First Lady Jill Biden were notably cropped out.
"This Fourth of July, I am taking a moment to reflect. Things are hard right now. They are probably going to get worse before they get better," Harris posted. "But I love our country — and when you love something, you fight for it. Together, we will continue to fight for the ideals of our nation."
hahahaha
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) July 4, 2025
She cropped him out. https://t.co/MvAUPx31r5 pic.twitter.com/dvXNcKBSlJ
Last year's 4th of July came days after Biden's disastrous CNN debate against Trump, at which point not even Biden's fellow Democrats could deny there were problems with his mental fitness. It would still be weeks before top Democrats, like Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) forced Biden out of the race, though.
Harris ultimately replaced Biden as the Democratic nominee last summer, and just like her previous run for president for the 2020 Democratic primary where she dropped out in December 2019 before any primary contest, she failed to earn a single primary vote. If the Democrats had their way, Harris and Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) would be in office as president and vice president posting about the holiday from the White House.
Trump was elected once more, though, and as 47th president he signed the OBBB into law and watched fireworks from the White House, while First Lady Melania Trump even did his signature YMCA dance.
🚨 President Trump officially signs the One Big Beautiful Bill into law! pic.twitter.com/H8tOV7fEWd
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 4, 2025
🔥First Lady Melania just hit the Trump Dance with 47! pic.twitter.com/M6XAKEx0df
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 5, 2025
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