Trump, who promised to give up golf once elected, spent over $100 million of taxpayers' money golfing: Report
President Donald Trump — who promised that, if elected, he would not play golf at all — has reportedly cost taxpayers an extra $102 million in travel and security expenses owing to his golf habits.
The commander-in-chief golfed at his Florida courses on 24 separate occasions, racking up a bill of over $81 million, according to a report by Huffington Post released Wednesday.
Then, another $17 million was reportedly spent on security expenses for his 15 trips to Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. $3 million on a two day trip in July 2018 to the Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. And $1 million for a visit to his resort in Los Angeles, Daily Mail reports.
That said, a significant part of the expenditure during the Scotland golf outing was on rental car expenses to move the entourage that follows the president on his foreign trips.
In August 2016, Trump told an audience in northern Virginia, “I’m going to be working for you. I’m not going to have time to play golf.”
It is no secret that Trump is a big fan of golf.
Last month, he even awarded his dear friend and golf legend Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom after he won the Masters in a stunning comeback.
The reported $100 million in golf expenses is expected to increase with Trump's scheduled visit to his club in Doonbeg, Ireland, next month, as part of his previously scheduled June trip to Europe.
The president would be traveling to England and France to commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the White House announced Tuesday, later adding he would also be meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar in Shannon, Ireland, which is nearby from Trump's Doonbeg resort.
The president reportedly wanted to meet with Varadkar at his own resort, but a source from the Irish government told CNN it would be inappropriate.
"Protocol dictates that any event they host for President Trump should be at a venue of their choosing and certainly not at a hotel owned by Trump," the source said. "It is a bit unseemly to demand that the Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) host President Trump at his hotel."
While Trump and other Republicans have often criticized President Obama for his golf outings, the current president has reportedly spent twice as many days on the course as Obama did at the same point in his first term.
Also, Trump has saved taxpayers $400,000 per year by volunteering to not take the presidential salary. However, he may have canceled out those savings due to golfing.