Donald Trump Blasts Non-Working Holidays As New Figures Reveal Taxpayers Are Footing The Bill For His Pricey Vacations

Turns out the former president’s hobby comes with a hefty price tag…

The jaw-dropping total of how much Donald Trump’s vacations have cost U.S. taxpayers is now public, and it comes just after he slammed non-working holidays in a fiery online outburst.It’s no secret that Trump enjoys spending his downtime on the golf course. He’s known to visit Mar-a-Lago frequently on the weekends and has already spent a good chunk of time away from the White House during his second term.Back in March, reports showed that Trump had made his sixth visit to his luxury Florida estate since returning to office in January—and these getaways certainly don’t come cheap.

Critics have called these trips a major drain on government resources.Between the cost of flying Air Force One, using cargo planes for gear, lengthy motorcades, and a stretched Secret Service presence, these breaks are anything but low-key.Local authorities in Palm Beach also carry the extra burden of handling his security each time.

Trump with his son, Eric, playing golf in AprilLauren Sopourn/Getty Images

Local law enforcement has ended up paying for overtime and added expenses for helicopters and on-the-ground officers just to keep the president, his family, and his entourage safe while he enjoys his favorite sport.Now, the actual cost of these weekend escapes has been revealed. And it’s significant—especially considering Trump’s recent complaints about employees getting too many holidays.According to Marca, by the end of March alone, his travel and leisure activities had racked up a total cost of $26 million to the American public. That figure reportedly climbed to nearly $30 million by early April.

Just fueling, staffing, and taking off in Air Force One isn’t cheap either. A 2022 Air Force estimate put the cost at nearly $200,000.Reports say the two-hour flight from Washington D.C. to Palm Beach International costs around a million dollars per trip when you add everything up, just for the travel alone.

The president’s vacations require a lot of security and personnelJoe Raedle/Getty Images

The massive costs are especially striking considering Trump recently took to social media to criticize how much money is lost when businesses close for holidays.He posted: “Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed.”“The workers don’t want it either! Soon we’ll end up having a holiday for every once working day of the year. It must change if we are going to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

But many people have pushed back, saying the real financial burden may be the president himself.“If we are gonna talk about efficiency… let’s talk about the fact that, as of March 30, Trump’s golfing has cost us approximately $26 million,” Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett pointed out during a House subcommittee hearing in April. “The last time I checked, we’re not getting anything in return for that.”

His trips are costing the US taxpayer a fortuneChris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images

She also brought up the staggering cost of some of Trump’s golf weekends. One of them racked up a $3.4 million tab, and another went as high as $4.2 million due to extra helicopter travel from Miami International Airport.During Trump’s first term, the Government Accountability Office estimated that each Mar-a-Lago weekend trip averaged around $13.6 million. That estimate didn’t even include the $240,000 in overtime paid to Palm Beach County officers.Speaking to county commissioners in February, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the job was no small task. He added: “They request it, and then we provide it. It’s expensive, but we don’t really have a choice.”

Last November, officials approved an emergency request of $45 million for added security costs related to Trump. Sheriff Bradshaw believes that number is only going to go up from here.“We’ve already heard some information where he may be spending more time here than in Washington,” the sheriff said during that meeting. “Definitely you’re going to see him bringing in leaders from the world. That is a significant shift in the cost for security.”

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