By Kate Bennett,Kevin Liptak
CNN
December 28, 2022
President Joe Biden this week returns to St. Croix, one of his and first lady Jill Biden’s beloved vacation spots, seeking a final opportunity for rest before what is expected to be a contentious 2023 and reelection run.
As Biden unwinds in a familiar spot — the first couple have visited the US Virgin Islands for more than a dozen years, vacationing there approximately ten times since the mid-2000s — the work on his path forward intensifies back in a frigid Washington, DC. Advisers are already preparing the president’s annual State of the Union address, typically delivered in late January or early February, viewing the speech as an opportunity to lay down the stakes and themes that Biden could adopt on the campaign trail.