Trump's Golf Habit Costs Taxpayers Over $100 Million in Second Term
President Donald Trump's regular golf excursions have now accumulated a staggering taxpayer bill exceeding $101.2 million for travel and security arrangements since his return to office in 2025. According to a detailed analysis by HuffPost, this substantial expenditure represents approximately two-thirds of his first-term golf-related costs, positioning the administration to potentially spend $300 million by the conclusion of his second term.
Frequency and Financial Impact
Trump's Saturday morning arrival at his West Palm Beach, Florida golf course marked his 56th visit to that specific location since his 2025 inauguration. Cumulatively, he has spent 110 days on golf courses he owns, meaning he has engaged in golf activities during more than one-quarter of his days since reassuming the presidency. This pattern emerges during a period when many Americans face significant economic pressures, including rising gas prices and worsening affordability challenges.
"At a time when gas prices are spiking and Americans across the country find themselves in an ever-worsening affordability crisis, the president has burned through over $100 million in taxpayer money in order to make promotional appearances at his golf courses and hobnob with millionaires and billionaires," stated Jordan Libowitz of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington watchdog group. "If his goal were to help struggling Americans out, one thing he could try is stop spending their money going to his golf courses."
Comparative Spending Analysis
During his initial term, Trump required two full years to reach the $100 million threshold in golf-related expenses, ultimately playing golf 293 days at his own properties at a total taxpayer cost of $151.5 million. The current analysis utilizes methodology and figures from a 2019 Government Accountability Office report that examined Trump's early first-term golf trips. That report determined that four trips to Mar-a-Lago in early 2017 alone cost taxpayers $13.6 million, breaking down expenses into components including additional security measures, Air Force One flights, and transportation of motorcade vehicles via expensive C-17 cargo planes.
In this second term, the primary cost drivers for the president's golf hobby remain significant:
- Flights utilizing Air Force One aircraft
- Requirement for Air Force C-17 transport planes
- Salaries for personnel providing presidential protection
These expenses have not decreased and have likely increased since the previous administration. Notably, HuffPost's analysis did not adjust figures for inflation, as military and law enforcement salaries generally haven't kept pace with the consumer price index, meaning actual costs are certainly higher than the unadjusted 2019 numbers indicate.
Destination Breakdown and Expenses
Trump's golf-related travel during his second term includes 17 exclusive trips to his Mar-a-Lago country club home in Palm Beach, which is conveniently located near his West Palm Beach and Jupiter courses. He has made seven additional trips to Mar-a-Lago that included at least one extra stop, such as a recent weekend where he flew from Florida to Memphis for a speech before returning to Washington.
Other regular destinations include:
- Eight trips to his Bedminster, New Jersey course at approximately $1.1 million each
- Five visits to his Doral, Florida resort costing about $2.7 million per trip
Among his regular golf destinations, Mar-a-Lago proves by far the most expensive at $3.4 million per visit. This high cost stems from extensive security requirements, including patrolling both the Atlantic Ocean off the Palm Beach coast and the Intracoastal Waterway separating the barrier island from the mainland. When Trump is present, a Coast Guard ship stations offshore while smaller law enforcement vessels with mounted guns patrol the Intracoastal Waterway.
International Travel and Executive Time Classification
The most expensive single trip to date occurred last summer when Trump traveled to his Scottish resorts at a cost of $9.7 million. This excursion included participation in the grand opening of a new course at his Aberdeen property—an event for his for-profit business that received promotional assistance from White House government staff.
In recent weeks, the White House has begun categorizing Trump's golf outings as "executive time," a phrase that now appears in his public schedule almost daily. When questioned whether this classification indicates leisure activity during these periods, the White House press office responded with an unsigned statement: "Executive time refers to executive time."
Historical Context and Comparisons
Prior to his 2016 election, Trump spent years criticizing former President Barack Obama's golf outings and promised during his initial campaign that he would be too busy to play golf. Following his 2020 election loss and failed coup attempt, Trump repeatedly criticized his successor, Joe Biden, for frequent weekend trips to his Delaware home.
However, Obama's taxpayer-funded golf expenses represented only a small fraction of Trump's costs because Obama primarily played at Joint Base Andrews, located a short motorcade ride from the White House. Similarly, Biden's trips home utilize either the smaller version of Air Force One or Marine One helicopters, both operating at far lower costs than the $273,063 per hour required to fly the larger, modified Boeing 747 that Trump employs for his Florida golf trips, according to GAO findings.
