President Donald Trump and Elon Musk continue to proclaim that they are eliminating inefficiencies, waste, and fraud within the government while executing widespread layoffs; however, one area where expenses are not being reduced is on the golf course.
HuffPost has been monitoring the taxpayer expenses related to Trump’s golf outings since he assumed office on January 20, and he has reached a new benchmark.
What’s that benchmark?
He has now exceeded $20 million in taxpayer funds spent on golfing, as reported by HuffPost, and has already surpassed $26 million since taking office.
According to the report, Trump arrived at his golf course in West Palm Beach, just across the Intracoastal Waterway from Mar-A-Lago, to enjoy another round on Saturday morning. This marks the 14th day he has spent golfing at that course and the 18th overall since his inauguration on January 20. Consequently, the president has dedicated more than a quarter of his second term to golfing.
The current total cost, according to HuffPost, stands at $26,127,531. To provide perspective, during his full first term, the president spent $151.5 million on golf. Thus, he is on track to surpass that figure significantly in his second term.
For those who assert that these are Trump’s own courses, it’s worth noting that this is considered in the overall expense. So, what accounts for the high costs of his golfing?
The figures originate from a 2019 Government Accountability Office report that evaluated Trump’s initial four visits to Mar-a-Lago during his first presidency. You can view the report here. It estimated that each of these trips cost $3,383,250, based on 2017 dollars, indicating that the present costs are likely higher than these initial estimates.
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The expenses related to his golfing activities in Florida encompass flying on Air Force One. Furthermore, as reported, the military transports the vehicles for his motorcade via C-17s for each trip. Additionally, since Mar-a-Lago, where Trump resides while golfing, is waterfront, police boats equipped with machine guns and a Coast Guard vessel are deployed for security. The report also indicated that extra expenses include law enforcement and bomb-sniffing dogs.
