# Question about the Biden presidency **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 8, 2021, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995 "2021-01-08T02:58:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995/1 "2021-01-08T02:58:58Z")
Joe Biden takes December 18th off every year as it is the anniversary of his first wife and daughter. Presuming he takes it off as President, will he make Kamala acting president for the day? There is precedent for that while President’s go under surgery but this seems to be a different scenario. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995/2 "2021-01-08T03:08:02Z")
WAG-He’ll have no scheduled meetings and such, maybe won’t even go to the Oval Office but will still be “on-duty” if needed. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995/3 "2021-01-08T03:27:08Z")
There’s no need for Biden to do anything. If Trump made Pence president every time he took the day off to go golfing Pence would have spent more time as president than Trump did. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995/4 "2021-01-08T11:12:59Z")
How would it be different from any other vacation day a President normally takes? ---
**Author:** ![CoconutPete](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coconutpete/32/5294_2.png) [@CoconutPete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CoconutPete)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995/5 "2021-01-08T12:48:53Z")
Won’t Kamala already be running the show by then? ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995/6 "2021-01-08T14:26:48Z")
Because on a vacation day the President is still available for work. This would be Biden saying if there is an emergency go to Kamala ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995/7 "2021-01-08T14:35:37Z")
I believe this was discussed when it was possible Joe Lieberman could end up president(If Gore died/resigned). He takes the Jewish Sabbath off and does no major activity. I believe he basically said he would still do presidential things that were required. And that was a religious tenant/tradition. I imagine Joe Biden is more like “don’t interrupt me during this day unless it is necessary”, but is still 100% available. Didn’t Obama take dinner time to eat with his family every day? No interruptions unless absolute crisis? ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2021, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-the-biden-presidency/929995/8 "2021-01-08T15:03:23Z")
What they said. The Acting Presidency is understood to be for when the President may be _unable_ to perform his duties (be that by his own judgement or by that of the Cabinet). Merely not being at the office or not taking meetings/handling documents does not trigger an Acting Presidency. Though a _West Wing_ scenario in which a President rules himself to be in no position to perform properly so he asks to be relieved voluntarily while still physically and mentally fit is plausible, that particular storylne involved multiple plot devices to get there.