President Donald Trump has reportedly spent a significant amount of taxpayer money on enhancing his sporting skills since returning to office earlier this year.
Since being inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, the 78-year-old has made headlines for a series of controversial actions. These include a tense White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, and appointing Elon Musk as head of the Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump also claimed his victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was a “mandate,” expressed willingness to release a “suspicious” report on assassination attempts against him, and signed an executive order creating a contentious Bitcoin reserve.
Interestingly, of his first 48 days back in office, Trump has spent 13 of them on the golf course.
According to an Independent report, this golfing habit is costing taxpayers a staggering amount.
A longtime golf enthusiast, Trump owns 12 golf properties in the U.S., as well as courses in Scotland, Ireland, and the UAE. As per HuffPost, he has played ten rounds at Trump International West Palm Beach and three at Trump Doral since returning to Washington, D.C.
Trump Doral, located near Miami International Airport, spans 800 acres, while Trump International West Palm Beach boasts a 27-hole course minutes from the Atlantic Ocean.
His golf outings during his first term often drew scrutiny, with The Washington Post estimating in 2019 that his trips to Florida for the sport would cost taxpayers $64 million. By October 2020, former Labor Secretary Robert Reich calculated that the actual figure had reached a staggering $141 million.
In 2018, a single weekend in Scotland cost taxpayers over $1 million, according to a report from the Committee on Oversight and Accountability Democrats.
So, how have Trump’s 13 rounds of golf this year affected U.S. taxpayers?
Citing a 2019 Government Accountability Office report, HuffPost estimates that his golf-related expenses have likely exceeded $18 million.
These costs include Air Force One travel to Florida, security personnel, and law enforcement patrols with bomb-sniffing dogs.
Meanwhile, Trump’s golf empire has also faced controversy. On Saturday, March 8, police in Scotland launched an investigation after vandals targeted Trump’s Turnberry resort.
According to the BBC, a pro-Palestinian group defaced a building with red paint and spray-painted “Gaza is not for sale” on one of the greens.
A spokesperson for Trump Turnberry condemned the act as “childish and criminal,” calling the resort a “national treasure” and a “world-leading symbol of luxury and excellence in golf.”
