Bidens nearly week-long stay in the area brings buzz both positive and negative
While the Democratic National Convention was going on in Chicago during the third full week in August, one of its early notable speakers, who just happens to be president of the United States was staying in the Santa Ynez Valley along with his wife and other family members.
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden landed in Air Force One in the wee hours Tuesday morning, reportedly heading to the estate of Joe Kiani. Biden had spoken at the DNC Monday night, the first of the convention, to officially support his vice president, Kamala Harris, as the Democratic nominee for president in this November’s election. Bidenhad dropped his bid for re-election earlier this summer.
Kiani is an Iranian-born American engineer, entrepreneur, and corporate executive who founded the medical technology company Masimo. In 2021, he was appointed by Biden to serve on the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST).
Upon the first couple’s arrival, there was much speculation on the president making informal appearances in the Valley.Rumors swirled of him supposedly having dinner at or visiting a few establishment in the area. However, verifiable media reports said that he stayed at Kiani’s property all week until he was spotted attending Mass at Mission Santa Ines on Saturday evening, his last night in the area. He was joined by his children Hunter and Ashley.
Fox News Channel reporter Matt Finn first posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “the church specifically prayed for the de-funding of Planned Parenthood.” He then elaborated on a subsequent post that “A woman in the pews said the prayer aloud and the priest did not object. A parishioner told us this woman has said this prayer before and the priest allows it in his church.”
Jill Biden spotted in Solvang and Los Olivos
While the president was reportedly content to stay at the Kiani estate, first lady Jill Biden was seen about town on a couple of occasions, in Solvang and Los Olivos.
On Wednesday, Aug. 21, the Book Loft on Mission Drive was visited by the first lady joined by a number of kids who were purportedly family members.
Book Loft employee Melanie Eckford-Prossor said it was business-as-usual at the bookstore when the staff noticed activity outside.
“There was a cop car parked in the red zone, which usually doesn’t happen, and some other cars there, but we didn’t pay much attention at first,” Eckford-Prossor said. “The shop was pretty busy and then I started to notice people coming in, an someone who looks kind of familiar.
“She had some kids with her and they brought books for purchase, and then she presented her credit card, and I realized who it was.”
According to Store Manager Donna Hernandez, Jill Biden’s arrival didn’t cause too much disruption.
“We very much wanted to allow them to shop like regular people,” she said. “So I tried not to hover or overly notice them there.”
However, Eckford-Prossor didn’t pass up a chance to talk with the first lady.
“I checked with Donna first to see if it was OK, and I went and talked to her because I used to be an English professor at [Santa Barbara City College] and she’s a working English professor,” she said. “So we talked briefly about English, the mission of the community college, and what she’s teaching this semester, which is amazing to me that you could still have that life [as a first lady] and still be a professor.”
Before leaving, Biden provided a copy of her children’s book, “Willow the White House Cat,” and signed the title page for the staff.
“They were really just nice people,” Eckford-Prossor said of Biden and her group. “No drama, no issues.”
Then on Saturday, Aug. 24, Biden, her daughter, and granddaughter made a visit to the Los Olivos Fashion House in Los Olivos.
Mary Beth Larkin, creator of the (IN)LARKIN clothing brand and proprietor of the store, said she had the “honor of dressing the First Lady, as well as her daughter and granddaughter during their visit.”
“We are deeply honored to have hosted Dr. Jill Biden and her family at our fashion house,” said Larkin. “As a small business owner, it means the world to have the First Lady recognize our hard work and dedication. Seeing three generations of Bidens in my designs was a dream come true!”
With the Bidens come protests
On the other side of the coin, there were many in the area who weren’t happy with the Bidens presence in the SYV, even if the stay is temporary.
Pro-Palestinian protesters were spotted in Solvang mid-week, and on Saturday, Aug. 24, a group called 805Patriots organized a pro-Donald Trump rally in Buellton.
Flyers distributed to inform people about the rally billed the event as a “Joe Biden in Santa Ynez MAGA Welcome,” and stated that the Bidens were in town for a fundraiser and looking to retire to the Santa Ynez Valley, although neither claim has been substantiated.
One of the people who showed up for the rally was Bix Buckley of Santa Barbara, who was selling some T-shirts for the cause.
Bickley said he came to the rally because he felt the left “are anti-Christian and anti-American. They’ve done everything you can to destroy America in four short years.”
The parking lot in the Albertson’s Shopping Center was filled with pickups and other vehicles carrying pro-Trump and pro-Republican Party flags, which after a series of speakers addressed the crowd took part in a “Trump Train,” a caravan of vehicles that drove through the Valley. Charlie Ward of 805Patriots evened planned to come up to the entrance of Kiani’s estate and “make some noise.”
Meanwhile, at another political event at River View Park, 37th District Assemblyman Gregg Hart and 3rd District Santa Barbara County Supervisor Joan Hartmann had a different view of Biden’s presence.
“I think it’s great that they came out here to see our wonderful valley,” said Hart, who maintained he hadn’t seen the president or heard about any events involving him. “I hope both of them are really enjoying it.”
Hartmann said she was pleased the Bidens wanted to visit, but also said it wasn’t a big deal to those on the Democrat side of the political aisle.
“To be honest, I don’t think to many people on our side are considering this important,” she said. “I think it thesupporters on the other side making a big deal of it.”
Feature Image: President Joe Biden shakes hands with U.S. Space Force Lt. Gen. Douglas Schiess, U.S. Space Forces-Space commander and Combined Joint Force Space Component commander, before his departure from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Aug. 25. Biden and his wife Jill stayed in the area from Aug. 20-25. U.S. Space Force photo by Senior Airman Ryan Quijas
