Trumps Golf Costs: $102 Million And Counting With Taxpayers Picking Up The Tab
Donald Trumps golf habit has already cost taxpayers at least $102 million in extra travel and security expenses, and next month will achieve a new milestone: a seven-figure presidential visit to another country so he can play at his own course.
U.S. taxpayers have spent $81 million for the presidents two dozen trips to Florida, according to a HuffPost analysis. They spent $17 million for his 15 trips to New Jersey, another $1 million so he could visit his resort in Los Angeles and at least $3 million for his two days in Scotland last summer $1.3 million of which went just for rental cars for the massive entourage that accompanies a president abroad.
And, notwithstanding Trumps campaign promise that if elected he would not play golf at all, the White House has done preliminary work for Trumps visit to his resort on the west coast of Ireland next month, according to Irish media and government sources, even though no official meeting with Irish leaders is planned in the capital, Dublin.
Late Tuesday afternoon, the White House announced that Trump would meet with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Shannon, just 30 miles by air from Trumps golf resort in Doonbeg. It will be the first time Trump will visit a foreign country with the staggering footprint of personnel and equipment that entails for the main purpose of playing golf, though an official purpose was layered on after the fact.
And the price increases exponentially the farther Trump travels.
Trump Has Spent $115 Million On Golf Trips Or 287 Years Of Presidential Salary
With his Thanksgiving vacation, President Donald Trumps golf hobby has now cost Americans an estimated $115 million in travel and security expenses the equivalent of 287 years of the presidential salary he frequently boasts about not taking.
Of that amount, many hundreds of thousands perhaps millions of dollars have gone into his own cash registers, as Secret Service agents, White House staff and other administration officials stay and eat at his hotels and golf courses.
The exact amount cannot be determined because the White House refuses to reveal how many Trump aides have been staying at his properties when he visits them and will not turn over receipts for the charges incurred.
In response to a HuffPost query on Wednesday asking if she knew how many administration officials other than herself are staying at Trumps resort in Palm Beach, Florida, during his Thanksgiving stay, and how much it is all costing, White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham responded with a one-word answer: No.
But lawsuits filed by news organizations and watchdog groups against other executive branch agencies the White House is exempt from Freedom of Information Act queries have revealed payments totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars, arguably in violation of the Constitutions domestic emoluments clause, which prohibits Trump from accepting benefits beyond his salary from the federal or any state government.
The Claim: Trump’s Golf Trips Have Cost The American Taxpayer $141000000
One of President Donald Trump’s favorite recreational activities is golf.
Robert Reich, author and former Labor secretary, claims in an Oct. 19 post to his Facebook page that the hobby is subsidized by U.S. taxpayers.
“Once again, Trump brags about donating his $400,000 presidential salary. Somehow he forgot to mention that his golf trips have cost taxpayers $141,000,000,” says a screenshot of a Reich posted that same day.
Reich, who served during the Clinton administration, was named one of the 10 best Cabinet members in the 20th century by Time magazine. The documentary maker now runs a blog, RobertReich.org.
Reich has not responded to a request for comment from USA TODAY. The White House was also asked to comment.
It is likely the estimated costs of the president’s golf trips was derived from independent websites such as Trump Golf Count, which tracks government spending.
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Us President Donald Trump Often Brags About Not Taking Presidential Salary Ever Since He Has Taken Over But A Report Shows His Golf Trips Have Cost $138 Million
US President Donald Trump often brags about not taking presidential salary ever since he has taken over the highest chair in the country. But a recent media report suggests that Trump has cost the US taxpayers a whopping $138 million on his golf trips. Donald Trump on Friday visited his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida to play golf and as per reports, it was the 29th time he took a golf-related trip since he became the president of the United States. The report further suggests that Trump’s golf trips have cost the taxpayers an amount equivalent to 334 years of the presidential salary.
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This incident has attracted a lot of criticism on social media as Trump had previously torn apart Barack Obama for playing golf during his time at the White House. Trump had once tweeted, “I play golf to relax. My company is in great shape. Barack Obama plays golf to escape work while America goes down the drain.” According to reports, Trump during his presidential campaign in 2016 had said that he would never play golf again if he ever becomes the president of the United States. Trump had said that he would never see Turnberry again if he becomes the president, even though he loves playing golf, referencing to his golf resort in Scotland.
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Donald Trump And Golf
Donald Trump is closely associated with the sport of golf. As a real estate developer, Trump began acquiring and constructing golf courses in 1999. By the time of his election as United States President in 2016, he owned 17 golf courses worldwide through his holding company, the Trump Organization. Courses owned by Trump have been selected to host various PGA and LPGA events, including the upcoming 2022 PGA Championship . A spokesman for the Trump Organization said that “This is a breach of a binding contract and they have no right to terminate the agreement”.
Following his election, Trump broke precedent with recent presidents and chose not to divest from his business holdings, including his golf courses. Although not illegal, this led to criticism from ethics lawyers and journalists for potential conflicts of interest. At least three lawsuits have been filed claiming that foreign payments at Trump golf courses and hotels violate the Emoluments Clause of the Constitution.
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Trumps Golf Trips Could Cost Taxpayers Over $340 Million
President Trump.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
When he was campaigning President Trump frequently bashed President Obama for playing golf and said that he would be too busy to play. Per a HuffPost article he said, I love golf, but if I were in the White House, I dont think Id ever see Turnberry again. I dont think Id ever see Doral again, he told a rally audience in February 2016, referring to his course near the Miami airport. I dont ever think Id see anything. I just want to stay in the White House and work my ass off.
Trump tweet about Obama golfing
It took less than two weeks before he broke that promise vs. Obama not playing his first round until he had been in office for about three months and Obama didnt visit a course outside of the DC area until August 2009, seven months after his inauguration. One reason Trump has been able to play so much golf is that he inherited an economy that was in very good shape vs. Obama taking office in the teeth of the Great Recession.
As can be seen in the chart below from trumpgolfcount.com, Trump has played at least 88 rounds of golf since he became President, has likely played 139 and has visited golf courses over 193 days. These compare to Obamas 76 outings over the same timeframe.
Trump and Obama golf outings
trumpgolfcount.com
Trump’s Visits To New Jersey Golf Course Cost Taxpayers Over $24m In Four Years
Former President Donald Trump‘s frequent visits to his New Jersey golf resort during his tenure in the White House cost taxpayers more than $2 millionwith Trump spending a total of 99 days at the Bedminster club while serving as commander in chief.
NJ.com reported on Saturday that the bill to taxpayers for Trump’s frequent visits to the Bedminster golf club totaled north of $2.4 million. Trump regularly frequented the club as an escape from the White House, with the number of his visits to the New Jersey property only coming in behind his trips to his residence at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
The news site obtained the information through a Freedom of Information Act request.
The vast majority of the sizable sum went to cover the costs of Secret Service agents’ hotels in the nearby area, with that total coming in at some $1.9 million. The Secret Service spent more than $35,000 on rooms at Trump’s Bedminister property.
The NJ.com report also noted that the $2.4 million figure does not include the price of Air Force One, which reportedly costs about $142,000 per hour to fly.
A February 2019 report from the Government Accountability Office, a congressional watchdog, said that Trump’s frequent trips to his Mar-a-Lago resort cost taxpayers even more. That report showed that four trips to the Florida property early in Trump’s presidency cost a combined $13.6 millionor about $3.4 million each.
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New Report Shows Taxpayers Foot The Bill For President Trumps $1 Million Weekend Golf Trip To His Resort In Scotland
Washington, D.C. Today, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, the Chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, Senator Tom Carper, and Senator Elizabeth Warren issued the following statement after a new report put the total amount of taxpayer funds spent as a result of President Donald Trumps weekend stopover at his Trump Turnberry golf resort in Scotland in 2018 at more than $1 million:
American taxpayers should not be on the hook for President Trumps golf weekend to a property he owns as a private businessman. The President has consistently abused the levers of government to promote his own personal enrichment, and we are calling on him today to reimburse the American people for the more than $1 million price tag for this unnecessary and wasteful trip. This is their moneynot hisand he should return it to them immediately.
Maloney, Carper, and Warren issued their statement after the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General issued a new report finding that spending by the Secret Service alone relating to the Presidents golf weekend exceeded $950,000.
This included more than $466,000 in rental car costs related to travel to the Presidents resort, which is approximately 40 minutes from the nearest commercial airport.
When combined with the State Departments own spending of more than $230,000 to support this trip, the total costs to the taxpayer of the Presidents two-day stopover at his resort in Scotland amount to more than $1.1 million.
George W Bushs Vacation Costs
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Estimated vacation costs: About $124.7 million in travel costs to Texas ranch
The Washington Post reported that former President George W. Bush took a total of 879 vacation days, including 77 visits to his privately-owned Texas ranch, as well as additional visits to his family home in Kennebunkport, Maine. While some presidents take advantage of fancy travel and fine dining, Bush seemed happiest at his ranch, where he spent 490 of his 2,922 days in office, according to Business Insider.
There isnt an exact figure to sum up Bushs total expenses because available estimates dont include Secret Service costs. But you can come up with a rough estimate by beginning with the estimated cost of Air Force One operation at the time roughly $179,750 per hour. When you multiply that by the nine-hour round trip from Washington, D.C. to Crawford, Texas, and then multiply that total by 77 ranch trips, the total Air Force One cost for those trips alone comes to about $124. 7 million.
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How Do You Calculate The Cost Reported On Your Main Page
Our total estimated cost currently includes five components: Cost of flights to Mar a Lago and Bedminster, New Jersey, using Philip Bump’s estimate of $514,000 per hour of flight time, An additional $6.4 million per year, prorated per day at a rate based on money reimbursed so far, allocated to Palm Beach and Bedminster for “extraordinary law enforcement personnel costs”, Coast guard costs for protection of Mar a Lago, estimated at $236,000 per day spent there , Costs paid by the U.S. government for Trump’s stay at his club and rental of luxury vehicles in Turnberry, Scotland in July, 2018, and Cost of staying at his golf club in Doonbeg, Ireland, rather than London during his visit to the United Kingdom in June, 2019.
Trumps Very Inexpensive Golf Habit Could Cost More Than $340 Million
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Lord help the soul who decides to call Donald Trump out on his compulsive golf habit, particularly if the soul happens to be a foreign critic of the president pointing out that Trump was golfing while supposedly monitoring a then Category 4 hurricane. The incompetent Mayor of London, Sadique Kahn, was bothered that I played a very fast round of golf yesterday, the president Tuesday morning, misspelling virtually every component of Sadiq Khans name before deleting it, correcting the error, and reposting. But that was hardly the point for Trump. Many Pols exercise for hours, or travel for weeks. Me, I run through one of my courses , he insisted. President Obama would fly to Hawaii, he added, before suggesting that Khan focus on Londons knife crime epidemic.
Irony, as always, eluded Trump, considering how little attention he paid to another mass shooting in Texas over the weekend that left seven people dead. Equally lacking in self-awareness was his comment about Barack Obamas own golf habit, which constituted part of Trumps early criticism of his predecessor. According to Forbes, Trump has spent over $100 million in taxpayer money on his hundreds of days at his own golf resortsputting him on track to spend more than $340 million if he is elected to a second term.
Vanity Fair
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Why We Are Doing This
“I’m going to be working for you. I’m not going to have time to go play golf.” –Donald J. Trump, August, 2016
Our President made a promise to the American people. Here we track his fulfillment of that promise. You can view our full list of Trump’s golf outings here, and see this explanation for more information. Or just watch this video to hear it straight from the President himself.
Donald Trumps Favorite Vacation Destination: Mar
You cant talk about Trumps vacations without talking about Mar-a-Lago, a 20-acre palace featuring more than 100 rooms private suites for Trump and his family, of course as well as a beach club, oceanfront pool, six tennis courts, a chip-and-putt golf course, a 20,000-square foot-ballroom, a private beach and seaside cabanas.
To stay there yourself, youll have to become a member of the club and pay the $200,000 initiation fee which doubled immediately following the election of Trump as the 45th U.S. president, reports CNBC and the $14,000 in annual dues. Of course, if you take your family there, the Palm Beach Sheriffs office wont have to dole out the estimated $60,000 in daily overtime pay that each Trump visit incurs, as reported by ABC News.
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Trump’s golf outings
Trumps golf trips have almost exclusively been to his properties. Below is a breakdown of Trumps visits.
- 1 of 193 outings were to the Presidents Cup
- 2 of 193 outings were in Japan
- 3 of 193 outings were at Trumps Ireland course
- 190 of 193 outings were to Trumps golf properties
- 20 flights to Bedminster, New Jersey, to visit Trumps course
- 24 flights to Mar-a-Lago
At his current pace Trump will visit his golf properties about 310 times and if he is re-elected it would 620.
Air Force One
Defense Visual Information Distribution Services, GAO-19-178
So far Trumps golf trips have cost at least $105 million
Trumps trips to his golf courses are very expensive and much more than Obamas since Trumps have been more frequent and usually requires Air Force One and all the accompanying security arraignments.
From a combination of an analysis from the HuffPost, the GAO or General Accounting Office, Politico and the Washington Post using costs from both Obama and Trump golf trips the estimated cost of Trumps visits so far come to a range of $105 to $108 million. When you extrapolate the $105 million estimate to eight years, assuming Trump is re-elected, the total cost is over $340 million.
GAO report on four visits to Mar-a-Lago by President Trump
General Accounting Office
The GAO report estimated that just four of Trumps trips to Mar-a-Lago cost:
President’s limo
