Joe Biden & His Family Takes ‘Polar Bear Plunge’ In Nantucket Sound Over The Holiday

On Thanksgiving Day, President Joe Biden joined other members of the first family for a frigid swim in the November waters off Nantucket. 

Naomi Biden, the president’s granddaughter, shared their tradition of the “Annual Biden fam polar bear plunge” on X and expressed her Thanksgiving wishes. Along with the post was a photo that showcased some family members wrapped in towels on a rocky beach after their dip in the cold waters.

The water temperatures in the Nantucket Sound measured a bitter 48°F on Thursday afternoon. Biden has famously spent almost every Thanksgiving on the island since 1975. While he was vice president, Biden and his grandchildren frequently participated in Nantucket’s annual Cold Turkey Plunge, a charitable event where participants race into the icy saltwater and swiftly return to the shore.

For this year’s swim, it seems that the president chose to use the waters near billionaire David Rubenstein‘s 13-acre beachfront estate. Biden and his extended family enjoyed a six-day stay at Rubenstein’s extravagant mansion, which they also occupied during the holidays in 2021 and 2022. The White House has not disclosed whether the president pays to rent the $38.9 million property from Rubenstein.

Before they took the plunge, Biden and First Lady Jill Biden made a visit to the Nantucket Fire Department to deliver several pumpkin pies and were seen in conversation with the first responders. 

Joe briefly responded to reporters’ questions about the hostage situation in Gaza and the imprisonment of American citizens in Russia. On the breakthrough agreement between Hamas and Israel, which could potentially result in the release of 50 hostages held by the terrorist group, he stated, “I’m not prepared to give an update until it’s done.”

When a reporter asked the president what message he wanted to send to viewers on Thursday, he said he would like Americans “to remind ourselves how blessed we are to live in the greatest nation on the face of the earth.”

He said, “We’ve made extraordinary progress. There’s nothing beyond our capacity when we work together. So today is about coming together, giving thanks to this country we call home, and thanks to all the firefighters, police officers, first responders and our troops, some of whom are stationed abroad. I’ve never been more optimistic.”

Noami became the first presidential granddaughter to be married at the White House in November 2022. She made headlines recently when one of her Secret Service agents opened fire on a man trying to carjack her vehicle.