President Joe Biden Gave Up This Sweet Treat For Lent

Catholics and Christians world-over started the Lent season this week, temporarily swearing off vices like alcohol, television, coffee, shopping, and — in the case of one of the world's most well-known Catholics — sweets. 

President Biden (the second-ever Catholic U.S. President, following in the footsteps of John F. Kennedy) has been called "America's most prominent Catholic" by NBC News, so it's no surprise that the politician, who attends Mass every weekend and has personally met with the Pope at the Vatican, is giving up his most well-documented vice during the Lenten season.

According to People, President Biden announced on Wednesday that he would be giving up all sweets for Lent, including his all-time favorite dessert. In the past, the devout Catholic has been open about his number one vice, saying on a call: "I don't drink. I don't smoke. But I eat a lot of ice cream." Therefore, it's apt that during the Catholic church's most repentant season, he is swearing off the cool, creamy confection.

After attending an Ash Wednesday service earlier this week, President Biden told reporters that he would be giving up all sugary treats until the end of Lent in mid-April, saying: "You know me ... I start off with dessert."

While photo ops at local ice cream shops have become a bit of a cliché for politicians at all levels of government, President Biden has long been known for his "genuine love of ice cream" (via The Washington Post). According to The Hill, during a 2016 campaign stop at the Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream headquarters in Ohio, the then-Vice President announced: "My name is Joe Biden, and I love ice cream. You all think I'm kidding — I'm not. I eat more ice cream than three other people you'd like to be with, all at once."

The President's passion for the cold treat has been well-documented over the years, resulting in a significant amount of photos of the politician eating his favorite confection. This inspired a Tumblr account (which appears to be defunct) dedicated to his ice cream habit. A 2014 image of the President licking an ice cream cone while donning aviator sunglasses at a Portland, Oregon-area shop even became a meme that was popularized during the 2020 election (via Know Your Meme).

Despite his infatuation with the frozen treat, for the time being, President Biden's ice cream consumption will be put on pause, potentially robbing D.C.-area ice cream shops of their best customer.