WATCH: White House Defends Trump’s Frequent Trips to Mar-a-Lago by Saying Obama Went to Hawaii ‘Often’

‘This Is Not Something That You Can Control’ • Trump Costs Taxpayers in a Month Almost What Obama Cost Them in a Year

President Donald Trump is costing the taxpayers millions of dollars every week, money that no other president has required. The First Lady and their son are still living at Trump Tower in New York City, costing local authorities about $150,000 a day. No estimate yet on what it costs the Secret Service to protect them, or the President on his frequent trips home. But President Trump on average every other weekend travels to his Mar-a-Lago, his estate and country club, costing taxpayers about $3 million for each Florida trip. Trump’s excessive personal monthly travel is costing taxpayers about as much as Obama’s personal travel cost taxpayers in a year.

Asked about these excessive costs during a White House briefing Monday, Press Secretary Sean Spicer tried to defend President Trump by claiming former President Barack Obama traveled to Hawaii “often.” That’s false. President Obama and his family traveled to Hawaii only once a year, for the Christmas holidays. The First Family also traveled to Martha’s Vineyard, once a year, for summer vacation. 

“This is not something that you can control,” Spicer falsely claimed. Trump could choose to actually stay in D.C. each weekend, like most presidents have done.

When pressed, Spicer asked reporters exactly how much they expect Trump to give up to be president, claiming he has relinquished control of his businesses, and citing a $78,333 check the President just wrote donating his first quarter salary to the Interior Dept. Trump had told voters he would not take a  salary, but he is legally obligated to.

As NCRM reported, President Trump on Sunday morning headed to the Trump National Golf Club just outside of Washington, D.C., in Sterling, Virginia. This was his 14th time visiting one of his golf courses in the eleven weekends he has been president. The Washington Post’s Philip Bump notes this is the 24th time since becoming president Trump has visited a Trump property, not including his home and offices in Trump Tower, since being sworn in.

Bump notes it’s also the ninth weekend in a row Trump has visited a Trump property, and that next weekend, as it stands now, will make ten in a row.

According to Judicial Watch, a far right wing group that filed Freedom of Information requests, during his entire eight years, President Obama’s travel cost taxpayers about $85 million, or about $10.6 million a year. President Trump’s travels are costing taxpayers about that much every month.

“The Secret Service and the Air Force are being abused by unnecessary travel,” the group’s president, Tom Fitton, said. “Unnecessary presidential travel for fundraising and luxury vacations on the taxpayers’ dime would be a good target for reform for the incoming Trump administration.”

The group has been silent on Trump’s travel costs, issuing not a single statement.

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