‘Why Doesn’t He Work More From the White House?’ One Reporter Asks
White House Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders just could not come up with a reasonable explanation for President Donald Trump’s Friday morning tweet, during which he told Americans that by him traveling “home” to his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, rather than heading back to the White House, he is saving taxpayers money.
“Rather than causing a big disruption in N.Y.C., I will be working out of my home in Bedminster, N.J. this weekend. Also saves country money!” Trump had tweeted, neglecting to mention his  “home in Bedminster, N.J.” is also an exclusive, expensive, private golf course and club.
By any measure it was an odd statement, even for Trump who has made clear he doesn’t care how much money his personal travels to his Mar-a-Lago, Florida estate and golf course, his Sterling, Virginia golf course, or any of his restaurants costs American taxpayers.
During the Friday afternoon press briefing, Huckabee Sanders, filling in for Sean Spicer, was repeatedly asked about Trump’s remarks, and just couldn’t manage to come up with a good response.Â
“This is the first time for the president to be back in the New York metro area,” Huckabee Sanders responded at first. “Had he stayed in Manhattan the disruption would have been far greater than being in New Jersey,” she offered.
“The bottom line is the president is the president no matter where he goes,” she added. “He doesn’t get to control the level of costs and security that may come along with that,” she claimed.
The reporter asking her about Trump’s claim wasn’t going to accept that answer, because Trump doesn’t have to go to Mar-a-Lago every other weekend, or to his Virginia golf course, or to now his Bedminster, New Jersey golf course. He could, like many Americans, actually work where his office and staff are.
“He does control where he works,” the reporter noted. “Why doesn’t he work more from the White House? He spent, maybe, the last 14 weekends –” she said before being interrupted.
“You guys complain we work too much around here,” Sanders quipped.
“For the purposes of costs, and savings to the American taxpayers, which he raised this morning.”Â
Huckabee Sanders went back to her original response.
“This was his first time to go back to the New York metro area,” she said. “And, um, I think he’s trying to save the taxpayers money the best way he can, by taking his team and focusing and being in New Jersey instead of being in New York where it would have caused a much greater disruption or cost to taxpayers.”
Or, he could have just gone back to the White House last night, causing no disruption or additional cost to the taxpayers.
Trump according to several reports spends about one out of every three days at a Trump-owned property.
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