78-Year-Old Biden's Day... Starting with Exercise and Ending with a Phone Call to His Son

My Favorite Menu Items Are Chicken Salad and Zero Cola

▲U.S. President Joe Biden (left) and First Lady Jill Biden (right) [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Age 78. Appetite like a 5-year-old. Starts the day with exercise and talks with his son before bed.

This is the daily routine of U.S. President Joe Biden.

On the 24th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) introduced the president’s life at the White House through interviews with seven people who know President Biden’s daily routine well.

According to the report, President Biden starts his morning with exercise. He regularly meets with a trainer in person and begins his day with workouts including strength training. During exercise, he is known to watch CNN’s New Day or MSNBC’s Morning Joe.

WP reported, “Unlike former President Donald Trump, who greatly enjoyed watching TV including Fox News, President Biden does not particularly like TV.”

After exercising, a file summarizing various news of the day is delivered to President Biden. Then, carrying a brown leather briefcase and several documents, Biden heads to the Oval Office, the White House’s working office.

After “commuting” from the second-floor residence to the first-floor office, he receives a daily intelligence briefing with Vice President Kamala Harris.

He then calls in White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain and Senior Advisor Mike Donilon to discuss state affairs. There is no specific topic set, but President Biden often asks Donilon, a longtime aide and considered another self, for his opinion.

Once a week, he has lunch with Vice President Harris. This follows the tradition Biden had with former President Barack Obama when he was vice president.

President Biden’s favorite lunch menu is said to be a salad topped with grilled chicken. He also really likes orange Gatorade and Coke Zero.

Although he seems to pursue a low-calorie diet, President Biden is a fan of snacks like chocolate chip ice cream.

WP reported, “Instead of keeping the Coke Zero button that former President Trump had, President Biden replaced it with his favorite chocolate chip cookies.”

One longtime aide told WP, “Biden’s taste buds are like those of a five-year-old.”

During the day, President Biden sometimes escapes security to go out to the Rose Garden or the lawn called South Lawn to get some fresh air and play with his dogs, Champ and Major.

He usually returns to the White House residence around 6 or 7 p.m.

At night, like former President Obama, President Biden reads letters from citizens. While Obama mainly replied to letters, Biden often arranges meetings to meet people in person.

Preston Lee (36), a transgender Army reservist, wrote a thank-you letter for the repeal of the transgender military service ban and received a call from the White House arranging a meeting with the president.

Amanda Patillo (45), who wrote a letter thanking the president for carrying a card listing COVID-19 death tolls, had a similar experience. Both met President Biden in person and took photos.

President Biden surprises White House staff by visiting them without notice and also personally calls staff members’ parents to wish them happy birthday.

President Biden is especially known for valuing family. Even during important meetings, if a call comes from a grandchild or family member, he always answers. He never says things like “I’m busy now, I’ll call you later.”

On President Biden’s wrist hangs a rosary that belonged to his eldest son Beau, who passed away in 2015. Around 6 to 7 p.m., President Biden leaves his office and returns to the White House residence, and before going to bed, he calls his second son Hunter. Reading reports for the next day’s work is also part of his bedtime routine.

Since the official schedule released to the media usually includes only one or two events per day, the opposition party has criticized President Biden’s schedule as being too loose.

Kevin McCarthy, Republican House Minority Leader, recently criticized in a Fox News interview, saying, “He doesn’t have the energy like Trump.” Former President Trump was often criticized for spending long hours watching TV and announcing important policy decisions day and night via tweets, causing confusion.

WP reported, “This is a stark contrast to former President Trump, who wasted time on social media and impromptu activities.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.