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The Cost of Presidential Golf Trips to Palm Beach
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Frequent Visits | Nearly every weekend, Donald Trump retreats to his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, racking up significant costs for American taxpayers. This includes reinforced security, road closures, and the exorbitant expenses associated with presidential travel, totaling tens of millions of dollars. |
| Local Expenses | The sheriff of Palm Beach County, Ric Bradshaw, highlights the immense financial burden of safeguarding the president and his entourage. Daily overtimes for police cost approximately $240,000, with the county allocating a $45 million emergency fund to cover these costs until November. |
| Federal Government Invoices | A significant portion of these expenses is the federal government’s responsibility. The use of Air Force One, at $200,000 per hour, and round trips between Palm Beach and Washington D.C. which exceed $1 million, including additional costs, constitute a substantial financial strain. |
| Fiscal Impact | Four trips made by Donald Trump during his first term cost an average of $13.6 million each, as reported in a 2019 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study. This raises ethical concerns as public funds are used to finance personal interests. |
| Golf-Focused Travel | Interestingly, Trump had previously criticized Barack Obama for his golf outings near Washington, while the latter’s golf trips were generally closer to home to minimize costs, Taxpayers, and locals in the Florida area deal with reduced road access, extreme traffic conditions, and regular lockdowns of public spaces. |
| Public Reaction | “Local residents and taxpayers are paying a hefty price for these regular presidential stays,” says journalist Victoria de Cardenas, who pointed out in an investigation for CBS12, “Our preference would be for Trump to stay at home, and make Mar a lago his retirement home…” ” quote Robert Weissman, Public Citizen. |