Biden visits second Maryland ice cream shop in one week

Biden spotted at ice cream shop in Bethesda

Former President Joe Biden was at a Baskin Robbins in Woodmont Triangle area on Friday afternoon. Video courtesy of Kylie Donatelli.

Bethesda, Md. - Former President Joe Biden was spotted at a Baskin-Robbins in Woodmont Triangle, Bethesda on Aug. 1—his second trip to a Maryland ice cream shop in one week. On July 28, Biden was spotted at another Baskin-Robbins in Kensington, Md.

Although it's unknown what Biden ordered on Friday, his order earlier in the week consisted of a double scoop of chocolate and vanilla, along with a chocolate milkshake, according to the Moco Show.

The backstory:

Biden has made his love for ice cream well-known throughout his political career, frequently making stops at ice cream parlors all over the country, so this double visit is par for the course for the former president. 

In 2016, Biden professed his love for the frozen dessert saying "my name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream." In separate remarks made that year, he declared it his vice of choice: "I don't drink. I don't smoke. But I eat a lot of ice cream."

By the numbers:

In fact, according to Federal Election Commission data, Biden spent more than $10,000 on ice cream during the 2020 election cycle. This money wasn't just spent feeding his own habit, however. The ice cream was purchased instead as gifts to campaign donors. Gifts such as these are permissible as long as they're of "nominal value," according to FEC guidelines. 

Dig deeper:

Reportedly, Biden's favorite brand of ice cream is Jeni's, a company known for its funky flavors such as Everything Bagel and Sweet Curry. He's such a fan that the company released a flavor inspired by his favorite order in 2021 called "White House Chocolate Chip," which included crunch chocolate flakes and chocolate-covered waffle cone pieces in a vanilla ice cream. 

While on the campaign trail in 2024, Biden was seen consuming ice cream on multiple occasions, including with late-night host Seth Meyers in New York City. He was even criticized for eating an ice cream cone while discussing the war in Gaza with reporters. 

Additionally, Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, hosted a thank-you event for staffers who worked on his reelection campaign shortly after he dropped out of the race and endorsed former Vice President Kamala Harris last year. The event, of course, included ice cream. 

With this track record, we're likely to see the former president grabbing ice cream in Maryland again.