President Donald Trump’s golf habit has cost taxpayers $102 million and counting, HuffPost estimated in a Wednesday report, based on an analysis of everything from Air Force One fuel to golf carts.
Trump criticized former President Barack Obama’s golfing, but so far, per HuffPost’s count, the current president has racked up more than twice as many golf days as Obama had at this point in his first term. And Trump’s trips have promoted many of his own golf clubs, benefitting his own company’s bottom line.
The cost comes down mostly to air travel, both for Air Force One and the fleet of planes necessary to move Trump’s motorcade, security and support staff, HuffPost reported. But there are costs on the ground, too, in the form of operational expenses like tent and golf cart rentals for Secret Service agents.
HuffPost cited a January Government Accountability Office report tallying the expense of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago trips in the first quarter of 2017.
“GAO estimated that federal agencies incurred costs of about $13.6 million for the President’s four trips to Mar-a-Lago from February 3 through March 5, 2017,” that report summarized. “This estimate consisted of approximately $10.6 million for operating costs of government aircraft and boats and $3 million for temporary duty costs of government personnel supporting the President’s travel, including transportation, lodging, and meals and incidental expenses.”
The GAO report identified “about $60,000 in expenses” paid to Trump’s club over four visits.
A big beautiful wall would have been built long ago if the money had been spent on it.
3x the cost of the Mueller report, which has almost paid for itself just with seizure of Manafort’s assets. Someone better make a big chart for a podium so he can rant about how expensive his golfing is.
What proportion of this was paid to his own pockets? Self dealing and graft are the name of the game. He should be impeached for that alone. Every person in every red state should know that he’s spent more of their money in the last 2 years playing golf than their entire families will earn in their entire lives.
(h/t @losamigos)
This is the best! I needed that laugh!
Off topic, but fantastic.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2019/05/22/new-york-legislature-approves-bill-that-would-allow-congress-to-access-trumps-state-tax-records/?utm_term=.bfe49732b783