Donald Trump is headed to a five-day vacation at his luxury Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida for a trip that will reportedly cost taxpayers more than $2 million.
Trump has drawn controversy for his frequent trips to luxury properties that he owns, including several weekend jaunts to the Palm Beach resort early in his presidency and again now that the winter season has started. Trump frequently blasted former President Barack Obama for his vacations and golf trips, but to date, Trump is on pace to take more than twice the amount of vacation time as Obama and at more than twice the price tag.
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, Donald Trump is once again taking criticism for his plans to spend the entire stretch at Mar-a-Lago. As The Washington Post noted, estimates for a single trip to Mar-a-Lago range from $3.6 million on the high end to $2 million on the conservative end.
But that just accounts for the travel to his estate. As Newsweek noted, there are also costs associated with the increased security incurred by both the Secret Service and local Palm Beach police. The report noted each of Trump’s visits cost local police about $70,000.
That has blown a hole in local budgets that could end up hurting local residents, the report noted.
“The county has yet to receive reimbursement from the federal government, and Newsweek reported this spring that the county was considering cuts to local programs to offset the cost of Trump’s visits. The budget deficit could even hurt Social Security recipients, as the county seeks ways to pay its police force.”
Some of Trump’s opponents are taking aim at his time at Mar-a-Lago. As the Tampa Bay Times reported, a left-leaning group is purchasing television ads during Fox & Friends and Saturday Night Live — two of Trump’s most-watched shows — that highlight his low approval ratings. Ultraviolet, a group that advocates for women, is using the ad to show some of the things that have a higher approval rating than Trump, including the Affordable Care Act, access to abortion, and even the much-maligned rock group, Nickelback.
Protestor greets Trump with “get off my lawn” sign as he arrives at his Mar-a-Lago resort https://t.co/rELVhEZ7bg pic.twitter.com/YuDJA0jDKA
— The Hill (@thehill) November 22, 2017
“Donald Trump is obsessed with his own ratings and popularity—so much so that he continues to prioritize them over issues that actually impact the American people,” said Nita Chaudhary, co-founder of UltraViolet. “That’s why we are running TV ads on one of his most beloved propagandist shows, Fox & Friends, all week long during one of his countless stays at the Mar-A-Lago. Our message is clear: America rejects Trump and his agenda.”
Donald Trump is set to stay in Mar-a-Lago through the end of the coming weekend.
[Featured Image by Joe Raedle/Getty Images]
