Blue Press Journal

Tag: Trump’s Weekend Golf

  • Taxpayers Foot the Bill as President Trump’s Golf Outings Continue to Rack Up Millions in Expenses

    Blue Press Journal: In a familiar scene, President Trump spent his Saturday morning at his Virginia golf club, indulging in a leisurely round of golf. The outing was part of a routine that has become all too familiar for the White House press corps, who were ferried to the Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, arriving at 9:38 a.m.

    While the President’s love of golf is well-documented, the costs associated with these frequent outings are raising eyebrows among critics. The repeated golf trips have added up to millions of dollars in taxpayer expenses, a staggering figure that is sure to spark controversy.

    At a time when the Trump administration and congressional Republicans are implementing cuts to vital programs such as Medicaid, the expense of the President’s golf outings seems particularly egregious. The move to slash Medicaid and reduce funding for federal agencies will undoubtedly have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable Americans, including low-income families, children, and the elderly.

    Meanwhile, the President’s leisure travel appears to be spared from any such fiscal austerity. The costs of transporting the President and his entourage to and from golf courses, as well as the expenses associated with securing these locations, are borne by taxpayers. These expenses include everything from fuel for the presidential motorcade to lodging and meals for Secret Service agents.

    The disconnect between the President’s golf habits and the administration’s budget priorities is striking. As the White House continues to justify cuts to essential services, citing the need for fiscal responsibility, the President’s own lifestyle seems to be exempt from such scrutiny.

    At a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, the idea that taxpayers are footing the bill for the President’s golf games seems particularly tone-deaf.

  • Trump’s Weekend Golf Outing to Cost Taxpayers at Least $10 Million

    In a move that has raised eyebrows among ethics experts, President Donald Trump is set to embark on a five-day trip to Scotland, where he will participate in a marketing photo opportunity at his own golf resort in Aberdeen. The trip, which is expected to cost American taxpayers at least $10 million, has been criticized as a blatant attempt by the President to promote his personal business interests at the expense of the public purse.

    The trip, which begins on Friday, coincides with the grand opening of a second 18-hole course at Trump’s Aberdeen resort, which he has been personally promoting in recent years. According to an analysis of the expenses required for a presidential foreign trip, the total cost of the jaunt is estimated to be around $9.7 million, based on 2017 dollars. However, when adjusted for inflation, the actual total is likely to be substantially higher, potentially reaching as much as $12.8 million.

    The costs associated with the trip include the hourly operating cost of Air Force One, the transportation of Marine One helicopters and motorcade vehicles across the Atlantic, and Secret Service overtime expenses, among other things. These expenses will be borne by American taxpayers, who will effectively be subsidizing the President’s marketing efforts for his golf resort.

    This is not the first time that Trump has used taxpayer money to fund trips to his own golf resorts. During his first term, he visited his resorts in Turnberry and Doonbeg, Ireland, as part of official visits. However, those trips were at least incorporated into official business, whereas the Scotland trip appears to be primarily focused on golf, with a meeting tacked on.

    Ethics experts have condemned the trip as a clear example of the President using his office to promote his personal business interests. “He’s using the presidency to market his golf courses,” said Richard Painter, the top ethics lawyer in George W. Bush’s second-term White House. “At the taxpayer’s expense, he’s promoting himself.”

    The Scotland trip is just the latest example of Trump’s willingness to blur the lines between his public office and private business interests. As the President continues to use his position to promote his own brand, many are left wondering what other expenses will be incurred at taxpayer expense to further his personal agenda.