Can you believe it? Less than two months after returning to the White House, Donald Trump has reportedly played golf on 13 of the 48 days he has been back in office — and the cost of those trips to Florida has been mounting, because, you know, who needs to work when you can play golf? (By the way, have you seen the prices of golf balls on Amazon? Crazy!)
And, by the way, it’s not like he’s just playing golf for the fun of it (although, let’s be real, it’s probably a lot of fun). No, no, no. This is serious business. I mean, have you seen the Mar-a-Lago resort? It’s like a real-life fairy tale (if fairy tales were about rich people playing golf). But, I digress.
According to an analysis by HuffPost, this is his 10th trip to the club, adjacent to Palm Beach International Airport, since his inauguration on January 20th. He has also golfed three times at Trump Doral, just east of Miami International Airport. Because, you know, one golf course is not enough for our dear president.
But, let’s talk about the cost of these trips. The outlet claims, citing costs from a 2019 Government Accountability Office report, that the president’s apparent insistence on spending his weekends (six out of seven so far) in Florida has now cost American taxpayers in excess of $18 million. And, if you’re wondering, that’s roughly the same amount of money you’d need to buy a luxury yacht (because, priorities).
And, did I mention that Trump and his entourage fly down on Air Force One while the military transports his motorcade vehicles using C-17 planes at a hefty cost? Because, you know, security is important (especially when you’re playing golf). On the ground, since traveling from Mar-a-Lago to the golf club involves crossing back onto the mainland from the barrier island, police boats with machine guns mounted on the bows patrol the waterway, while a Coast Guard vessel remains stationed off the beach in the Atlantic. Additional expenses include local law enforcement and explosive-sniffing dogs. Because, you know, you can never be too safe (especially when you’re playing golf).
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “What about the assassination attempts on Trump during the 2024 campaign?” Well, let me tell you, security has been greatly tightened since then. I mean, who needs to worry about actual threats when you have the Secret Service on the job? (By the way, have you seen the prices of security systems on Amazon? Scary!)
After a week of inauguration events back in January, the president undertook his first trip, flying from Washington, D.C., to North Carolina, California, and Nevada before heading to Florida. And, when asked by reporters on Air Force One whether he would be golfing upon his arrival in the Sunshine State, Trump replied: “No. I don’t think so. I’m busy.” Yeah, right. He was then pictured playing at the Doral course in Miami in a tweet posted by a Fox News reporter. Because, you know, who needs to keep promises when you’re the president?
On Saturday, the president departed the West Palm Beach course at 1:23 p.m. with the pool reporting he returned to Mar-a-Lago at “very high speed,” arriving back at the resort club at 1:29 p.m. I guess that’s what they mean by “rush hour” in the world of golf. But, hey, at least he’s getting some exercise, right? (By the way, have you seen the prices of golf carts on Amazon? Whoa!)
And, finally, let’s talk about the Turnberry resort, which was vandalized by pro-Palestinian activists in response to Trump’s “genocidal rhetoric” regarding the future of Gaza. I mean, who needs actual diplomacy when you can just play golf and tweet about it? But, hey, at least the president is consistent, right? (By the way, have you seen the prices of golf balls for peace on Amazon? Ha! Just kidding, that’s not a thing.)
In conclusion, it’s clear that Trump’s love of golf is not a priority (who am I kidding?). But, hey, at least he’s having fun, right? And, who knows, maybe one day he’ll even invite me to play a round with him (just kidding, I don’t think I’d be able to afford the golf clubs). But, until then, I’ll just have to keep reading about his golfing adventures and dreaming of the day when I can play golf like the pros (or at least, like the president).