It’s a bizarre world we live in, and some days that sentiment probably feels more appropriate than others. While many Americans cast their votes for Donald Trump in hopes that he would ease the burden of rising grocery prices, his first month back in office has seen him rack up an estimated $10.7 million in taxpayer-funded golf expenses.
According to a recent report from HuffPost, Trump has spent nearly every weekend since his January 20 inauguration on the golf course, playing at his own properties on at least nine of his first 30 days in office. The site based its calculations on a 2019 report from the Government Accountability Office, which detailed the costs associated with Trump’s trips to Mar-a-Lago. The report estimated that each visit cost taxpayers $3,383,250. Given inflation and increased security costs, the actual expenses today are likely even higher.
At this rate, Trump is on track to spend well over $100 million on golf in 2025 alone—surpassing the estimated $152 million he spent across 293 golf days during his first term. This comes at a time when many of his supporters hoped his leadership would “make America great again”—perhaps like it was in the ’80s or something—and bring financial relief by pushing grocery prices back to what they were before Obama, not by indulging in more lavish personal spending.
Critics argue that these frequent visits to Trump-owned resorts raise serious ethical concerns. Jordan Libowitz, of the government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics, told HuffPost that these expenditures highlight potential conflicts of interest.
“It’s clear that when the Trump administration considers the definition of corruption and wasteful spending, it doesn’t count spending that ends up in the president’s pockets,” Libowitz said. “By visiting his for-profit businesses roughly a third of his days in office, Trump is directing government spending to follow him there and profiting off the trips.”
Libowitz further added, “It would be one thing if he went to Camp David every few days to hit golf balls. It’s hard to see this as anything other than using the presidency to prop up his businesses.”
As inflation continues to squeeze household budgets, many Americans might find it hard to justify footing the bill for Trump’s luxury golfing lifestyle. Others, however, may see it as just another part of the cost of “making America great again”—because, after all, a guy’s gotta golf.
Soucre: HuffPost.