Trump Has Visited His Golf Courses 13 Times as President

He's spent a third of his presidency at Trump properties
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 27, 2017 7:07 AM CDT
Trump Has Visited His Golf Courses 13 Times as President
President Trump is seen from the window of his vehicle as it leaves the Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, Va., Sunday, March 26, 2017.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

President Trump stayed away from his Florida resort for the weekend, but not from Trump properties: He was at the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia on Saturday and Sunday and dined at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, DC, on Saturday night, reports the Washington Post, which calculates that Trump has spent all or part of 21 of the first 66 days of his presidency at Trump-owned properties. Golfweek notes that Trump—who repeatedly criticized then-President Obama for golfing and said that he would be too busy to golf when president—has now visited golf courses 13 times since Jan. 20. The White House said Trump was in meetings, though photos emerged of him riding in a golf cart and wearing golf attire Saturday.

On Sunday, during a brief visit to the Virginia club in which the White House said he held three meetings, a photo emerged of Trump watching the Golf Channel with two people. Critics accuse Trump of hypocrisy and complain that he is providing his businesses with a lot of free publicity. "It is normal for presidents to get out—and it can be a boost for small businesses across the city and the country," Robert Weissman of nonprofit group Public Citizen tells the New York Times. "But with President Trump, he spends his downtime as a walking advertisement for his businesses. It is a major departure from historic norm and degradation of the office." (Sean Spicer says Trump's golf habit is totally different from Obama's.)

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