Trump’s Vacation Costs to Taxpayers Spark Outrage After His Rant on Holidays
The staggering cost of Donald Trump’s vacations has finally come to light—just as he criticized “non-working holidays” in a fiery public rant.
Lavish Getaways Come at a High Price
Throughout his second term, Trump has frequently escaped to his favorite retreat, Mar-a-Lago. He often spends weekends on the golf course and has taken multiple trips since returning to the White House in January.
By March, he had already visited his Florida waterfront mansion six times. Each visit carried a hefty price tag.
Massive Costs Behind the Scenes
These leisure trips aren’t just weekend getaways—they’re logistical operations that drain public resources. The expenses include:
Flights via Air Force One
Additional cargo jets and motorcades
Increased Secret Service staffing
Local Palm Beach law enforcement support
Local authorities have paid out millions in overtime, deployed helicopters, and added ground personnel to protect Trump, his family, and his entourage.
$30 Million and Climbing
According to Marca, by late March, Trump’s trips had already cost U.S. taxpayers about $26 million. By early April, that figure had climbed to nearly $30 million.
Travel costs alone are eye-watering. A single two-hour Air Force One flight from Washington, D.C. to Palm Beach costs roughly $1 million, according to a 2022 Air Force assessment.
Hypocrisy at Its Peak?
While these figures circulated, Trump blasted the number of holidays taken by American businesses. In a social media post, he wrote:
“Too many non-working holidays in America. It is costing our Country $BILLIONS OF DOLLARS to keep all of these businesses closed.”
He added that even workers didn’t want that many holidays and warned that the U.S. would soon “have a holiday for every once working day of the year.”
Critics immediately pointed out the irony.
Lawmakers Fire Back
Texas Representative Jasmine Crockett called out the president during an April subcommittee hearing:
“As of March 30, Trump’s golfing has cost us approximately $26 million. The last time I checked, we’re not getting anything in return for that.”
She added that a single luxury golf weekend can rack up to $3.4 million, while one trip reached $4.2 million due to added helicopter transport from Miami.
Costs From Term One Still Haunt Taxpayers
The Government Accountability Office estimates that Trump’s Mar-a-Lago weekends during his first term cost about $13.6 million each. That figure doesn’t include the $240,000 in overtime paid to Palm Beach County deputies.
Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw confirmed the burden. Speaking to county commissioners in February, he said:
“They request it, and we provide it. It’s expensive, but we don’t really have a choice.”
Last November, officials approved an urgent $45 million request to cover security costs for Trump. Bradshaw warned the spending will likely grow.
“We’ve already heard that he may be spending more time here than in Washington,” the sheriff said. “You’re going to see him bringing in world leaders. That’s a major shift in the cost of security.”