Republican Chairman Says GOP's Attack on Joe Biden Crossed the Line

The chairman of the Republican Party's branch in the U.S. Virgin Islands slammed a social media post by the Republican National Committee (RNC) that criticized President Joe Biden.

The president appeared on ABC on New Year's Eve alongside first lady Jill Biden from a property in the overseas territory, leading to a tweet by the RNC questioning Biden's message "from a beachfront mansion in the Virgin Islands."

"Biden, from a beachfront mansion in the Virgin Islands, says his hope for the new year is that people 'understand' the United States is "coming back," the RNC said on X, formerly Twitter.

The Bidens went to the island of St. Croix for a New Year's trip, leading to ridicule from his Republican counterparts who have dubbed him "Beachfront Biden." The GOP has criticized Biden for going on vacation despite an ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Gordon Ackley, the chairman of the Republican Party in the U.S. Virgin Islands said he was "disappointed" by the post because it implied that the Virgin Islands is not part of the United States.

"There are a lot of things that are fair game to go after Biden," Ackley said on New Year's Day. "As a member of the RNC I'm disappointed in this X post by RNC staff insinuating that the Virgin Islands — an American territory — isn't part of the United States."

The Virgin Islands is an unincorporated territory in the U.S. with its own local government. Democrat Stacey Plaskett is the delegate to the House of Representatives from the U.S. Virgin Islands at-large district. She defeated Ackley to the seat in 2016, winning with over 98 percent of the vote.

A spokesman for the Republican Party in the Virgin Islands told Newsweek: "While the Republican National Committee has officially affirmed the equal citizenship of all Americans, including those living in the territories, the unfortunate reality is that much of Washington doesn't realize the United States also includes five territories.

"The post on X by almost certainly a low-level staffer was a reminder of this unfortunate reality."

Despite his comment on the RNC, Ackley wasn't complimentary of Biden and retweeted a remark from conservative commentator Steve Guest that said "Biden's brain is pudding." Guest said that Biden's reply to ABC presenter Ryan Seacrest for his "highlights" of 2023 was "scary."

Newsweek reached out to the RNC and the White House for comment via email.

"So many people through the Midwest and in the center of the country...their factories were shipped overseas the last couple times out," Biden said. It was this comment Guest took umbrage with.

Biden continued, saying people had been losing "hope and faith."

He added: "We poured a lot of jobs back to the United States so people are in a position to make a living now...I just feel good that the American people got up. They have been through a rough time with the pandemic, and now we are coming back."

Update 1/2/24, 1:40 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from the Republican Party in the Virgin Islands.