“Now that Trump is no longer residing in Trump Tower full-time, costs are believed to have dropped to around $146,000 dollars a day.”
There’s an expectation that Presidents will essentially enslave themselves and work 24/7 for the American public, but I’m all for letting Presidents take vacations. The absurd outrage over President Obama’s occasional golf outings and visits to Martha’s Vineyard and Hawaii, for example, always irked me. Presidents deserve some R&R, and let’s be honest, even when they’re on vacation, they’re always on-call. President Trump has every right to take occasional trips to Mar-a-Lago, but does he need to go every weekend? With Trump looking to reduce the size of the federal government and to finally restore sanity to the budget, he should first start with his own travel expenses.
At an estimated $3 million dollars an outing, Trump needs to reduce his travel. The $3 million dollar estimates are based on publicly available numbers from when Obama visited Florida. Much of the costs are tied to Air Force One which costs over $200,000 dollars an hour to operate, a rather expensive fare. Other planes and helicopters are also needed to provide protection for Air Force One, increasing the costs further.
Add in costs to staff Secret Service agents, provide additional security at Mar-a-Lago, ramp up local police presence, and various other measures and it’s not hard to envision how a weekend jaunt could balloon to $3 million dollars a pop very easily.
Trump should cut costs and lead by example by being frugal and tightening the belt. Can’t stand the White House? Head to Camp David, or swing by New York to see your wife and son. Since Secret Service protection is already in place at both locations, costs will be reduced.
Excessive Vacation Spending Comes as DC Tries to Tighten Belt
The United States is facing immense budget challenges, and many vital programs, such as Meals on Wheels, could potentially be cut in the coming months. Meals on Wheels, in case you’re unfamiliar, is a program that provides elderly poor individuals, who otherwise might struggle to travel and afford food, with meals delivered to their door.
Numerous other programs that provide assistance to the elderly, disabled, and extreme poor are also on the chopping block right now. After-school programs, for example, that provide assistance to working class families and help improve educational attainment could also be cut under Trump’s budget. Research and development, particularly in the medical field, is also facing big cuts even though it represents one of America’s most competitive economic industries.
I prefer to avoid hyperbole, but in this context, the choice is between providing vital assistance to the elderly and the poor, or paying for the sabbaticals of a billionaire President. Nothing against Trump, but I’ll choose assisting the elderly and the poor every time. Before the White House considers cuts to a variety of vital programs, they should first look in-house and see how they can cut costs there. Reducing protection costs for President Trump is one way to do so.
Time to Bring Family to Washington D.C.
Speaking of which, keeping First Lady Melania and Barron Trump in the Big Apple is a big burden for taxpayers. If the two Trump households can be reduced to one, protection costs will be greatly reduced. Huge sums of money are being shelled out to keep Melania and Barron Trump in New York. Ostensibly, the First Lady and Barron are staying in the Big Apple so that Barron can finish the school year. At the end of the year, we are told the first family will revisit the issue.
Estimates conclude that nearly $1 million dollars a day is being spent to keep the First Lady and Barron in New York though these numbers may be inflated. The New York Police Department estimated that it was spending $500,000 a day between Trump’s election victory and the inauguration. Much of this burden has since been shouldered by the Secret Service.
Now that Trump is no longer residing in Trump Tower full-time, costs are believed to have dropped to around $146,000 dollars a day. This is far less, but is still more than the average American household earns in a year.
Switching schools can be a challenge for children, and adjusting to new environments and making new friends isn’t necessarily an easy task. Yet the price tag on keeping the first family in New York City is becoming a substantial burden for American taxpayers. If they are going to ask Americans to make sacrifices, they should also make some sacrifices themselves.
Total Costs a Staggering Burden for Tax Payers
One of the more conservative estimates by the Washington Post’s Philip Bump put the total cost of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago vacations and keeping Melania and Barron safe in New York at a staggering $526 million dollars over four years. This estimate assumes that Melania and Barron stay in New York, and that Trump visits Mar-a-Lago four out of every nine weekends. Other estimates have put the number at above $1 billion.
Do you know how much money was spent on the Obama family and their vacations over 10 years? Approximately $85 million! This number itself is quite high, but as of right now the Trump White House is on track to spend more than that in a year! Simply put, this spending is excessive at a time when America’s public finances are in such poor shape.
Again, President Trump has every right to enjoy some rest and respite. However, with public deficits and debt burdens continuing to mount, the President must also lead by example, and tighten his belt. Fewer trips to Florida, and bringing his wife and young son to Washington D.C. would both be good first steps. Making use of Camp David and other government retreats would also reduce costs.
Yes, the President will literally have to make some sacrifices, but that’s a good thing. America as a whole has to make sacrifices, so a bit of leadership by example could go a long way.
Brian Brinker is an OpsLens Contributor and political consultant. Brinker has an M.A in Global Affairs from American University.
