Trump Slams “Unproductive Holidays” — Then the Taxpayer Bill for His Own Lavish Trips Comes to Light
In a fiery Fourth of July rally earlier this month, former President Donald Trump lashed out at what he described as a “culture of laziness,” accusing public officials and even average Americans of abusing their time off. “Too many people are taking vacations while our country is burning,” Trump declared to a cheering crowd. “We need workers, not beach bums. We need builders, not bureaucrats sunning themselves in Europe.”
But within days, a new government report unearthed the staggering cost of Trump’s own getaways during his presidency—and it painted a picture that many are calling deeply hypocritical.
The figures revealed that Trump’s frequent weekend trips to his own luxury properties—particularly Mar-a-Lago in Florida and the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey—cost American taxpayers more than $140 million over his four years in office. The backlash was swift, with critics accusing the former president of preaching fiscal responsibility while living a life of taxpayer-funded luxury.
The Vacation President?
During his presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump made more than 300 visits to his golf properties, according to watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW). A significant portion of those visits occurred on weekends or extended holiday breaks. Each trip involved complex logistical operations—military transport, Secret Service coordination, advance teams, staff, and lodging—which ballooned costs.
A single weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago could cost taxpayers up to $3.4 million, according to Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimates. Multiply that by the dozens of times Trump visited, and the taxpayer tab quickly climbs into the hundreds of millions.
All while Trump, both during and after his presidency, has positioned himself as a defender of “the hardworking American taxpayer.”
The Irony Hits Hard
“It’s classic Trump,” said political commentator Angela Ruiz. “He criticizes others for doing the very thing he did repeatedly—and at a much higher cost.”
Trump’s comments this month targeted not just bureaucrats, but also President Biden, whom he accused of “disappearing on Delaware beach vacations while the country spirals.” Trump’s supporters cheered him on, seemingly unaware—or unbothered—by his own history of costly leisure.
But critics weren’t having it.
“Trump has some nerve complaining about holidays,” wrote Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) on X (formerly Twitter). “He spent more time golfing than governing—and now he’s trying to rewrite history.”
Profiting from the Presidency?
The controversy is compounded by the fact that Trump’s trips weren’t just expensive—they were profitable for him.
When Trump stayed at his own resorts, the federal government often paid him for accommodations and services. The Secret Service was charged full rates to stay at Trump properties, sometimes exceeding standard per diem rates. In one documented instance, the Trump Organization charged the Secret Service $650 per night for rooms at Mar-a-Lago.
“It’s the only time in modern history where a president personally profited from the federal government for vacationing,” said Walter Shaub, former director of the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. “He was essentially running a taxpayer-funded travel business for himself.”
By funneling government payments into his own properties, Trump blurred the lines between public service and private profit—an arrangement that, while not explicitly illegal, drew harsh criticism from ethics experts.
A Trail of Broken Promises
Back in 2016, Trump famously promised: “I’m not going to have time to go golfing. I’m going to be working for you. I’m not going to leave the White House because there’s so much to do.”
That promise, like many others, quickly dissolved.
By the midpoint of his presidency, Trump had spent more time on vacation than President Obama had in his entire first term—despite previously attacking Obama for playing golf. The disparity grew as Trump continued traveling almost every weekend, sometimes even during crises such as Hurricane Dorian or the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At the time, Trump’s defenders argued that he was “working remotely” and deserved downtime like any other president. But internal logs later revealed that many of these trips were spent golfing, hosting private events, and holding informal political meetings—not urgent national business.
Public Reaction
With the 2024 election campaign heating up, the revelations about Trump’s travel expenses are now being used by opponents to challenge his credibility and frugality claims.
A viral TikTok video, titled “Golf Cart President,” showed clips of Trump golfing side-by-side with his speeches condemning vacations. It quickly racked up over 8 million views, with users mocking the irony.
Meanwhile, taxpayer watchdog groups renewed calls for stricter controls over presidential travel expenditures. “No future president should be allowed to profit from their own vacations,” said Thomas Greene of Taxpayer First. “This is about accountability—regardless of party.”
Trump Responds
Trump has pushed back against the criticism, calling the reports “fake news lies” and claiming that his trips “cost far less than Biden’s invisible schedule.” He doubled down on the idea that his time at Mar-a-Lago was “working time,” saying, “I took calls, held meetings, and ran the country better from there than Biden ever has from the White House basement.”
However, these claims have not been backed by verifiable schedules or public logs. White House press corps reports from his presidency show that many weekends at his resorts went unaccounted for in terms of official duties.
The Bigger Picture
While it’s not uncommon for presidents to take time off, the scale and self-serving nature of Trump’s travel habits set his record apart. The fact that his “working vacations” were held at properties from which he profited remains a major ethical concern.
It also highlights the growing need for transparency and reform in how presidential travel is managed. Currently, there is no law preventing a president from staying at their own business and charging the government for it—a loophole Trump exploited repeatedly.
Conclusion
Trump’s recent criticism of “unproductive holidays” may have earned applause at the podium, but the numbers now circulating in media reports tell a different story—a story of excess, contradiction, and hypocrisy.
In the end, as America continues to grapple with economic pressures, debt ceilings, and rising living costs, many taxpayers are left wondering: Was Trump really working for them—or working for himself?
The next election may very well decide how that question is answered.
