From Martha’s Vineyard addresses to rushing back to D.C.: When presidential vacations don't go to plan

It’s presidential vacation season and Joe Biden is enjoying some uninterrupted — so far, at least — time outside of the White House.

Summer vacations are a presidential tradition. From George W. Bush visiting Texas to Barack Obama hitting Martha’s Vineyard, presidents look to get away from the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C. Biden has been relaxing with beach days and bike rides with the first lady in Delaware for the past week.

But vacations don’t always go as planned, with major events and executive duties sometimes interrupting a president’s downtime. While there’s no reason to believe that Biden’s vacation will be cut short, the unexpected can always arise.

Here’s a look back at some upended presidential vacations over the past few decades:

Joe Biden

2022

Biden left his family vacation in South Carolina for Washington, D.C., for one day on Aug. 15 to sign the Inflation Reduction Act — a step he said he had been looking forward to for 18 months. He called the bill a historic opportunity to combat climate change and improve Americans’ lives.

2021

Biden expected to vacation in Delaware in 2021, but the August trip was cut short due to U.S. troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan at the same time. Biden ended up staying only the weekend.

“As we close 20 years of war and strife and pain and sacrifice, it’s time to look at the future, not the past,” Biden said at the time, capping a tumultuous month in which the Afghan government and security forces collapsed with breathtaking speed. “I believe this is the right decision, a wise decision, and the best decision for America.”

Barack Obama

2011

Hurricane Irene forced Obama to end his vacation a day early from Martha’s Vineyard. Obama later addressed the nation about the hurricane, which left at least 49 people killed.

Also in 2011, Obama briefly interrupted his vacation at Martha’s Vineyard and claimed victory after rebels seized Tripoli and drove Col. Moammar Gadhafi into hiding. Speaking from the Vineyard, Obama praised the rebel advances.

2009

During another trip to Martha’s Vineyard a few years prior, Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy died of brain cancer while still in office. A few days later, Obama traveled to Boston to deliver the eulogy.

“He was a product of an age when the joy and nobility of politics prevented differences of party and philosophy from becoming barriers to cooperation and mutual respect, a time when adversaries still saw each other as patriots,” Obama said during the eulogy.

During his winter vacation, Obama addressed the nation twice from Hawaii after “Christmas bomber” Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab tried to blow up a plane bound for Detroit.

George W. Bush

2005

After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Bush cut short his stay in Crawford, Texas, to return to Washington, D.C., and oversee the hurricane response. His vacation was supposed to be a month long.

“These are trying times for the people of these communities. We know that many are anxious to return to their homes. It's not possible at this moment. Right now our priority is on saving lives, and we are still in the midst of search and rescue operations,” Bush said at the time.

Bill Clinton

1998

Clinton left Martha’s Vineyard for Washington, D.C., to be briefed by top advisers on the U.S. missile strikes that occurred in Afghanistan and Sudan. Clinton later returned to Martha’s Vineyard.

George H. W. Bush

1991

Bush interrupted his vacation in Maine to discuss the coup in the Soviet Union which occurred the previous day. The president also delivered a statement on the events that took place while calling the coup “a disturbing development.”

1990

The year before, Bush interrupted a three-week trip to Maine to meet with administration officials — first in Maine, and later in D.C. — about the impact of the Persian Gulf crisis. He later delivered a statement to Congress and met with congressional leaders for a briefing.