President Donald Trump

[Hornsby]

Also the Obamas took an annual vacation to Martha's Vineyard--16 days last August in fact, to which I say 'good for them'. Not an issue. Neither is Trump heading to Florida.

Again, an annual vacation, even a couple, is a far different thing from going away close to every weekend on the taxpayers dime. Trump going repeatedly to Florida IS an issue, unless he decides to fund it himself. If he want to go on a couple of yearly vacations on the taxpayers dime, I have no issue. It's the frequency, the cost, and the fact that he's actually making money on the deal. That is an issue to me.

[Judge Jude]

"I doubt that once the temperature and humidity gets up In west Palm that Trump will be spending time there. I think by then, he will using his North Jersey property."

I've been to Trump National Bedminster Golf Club. It's in the middle of super-rich horse country - you can see billionaire NY Jets owner Woody Johnson's estate in the distance, for instance. But the best part is that the Bedminster property in the 1980s was owned by John DeLorean. I know a guy who used to live there AND who is tight with Trump as well.

#backtothefuture

[nots]

"I doubt that once the temperature and humidity gets up In west Palm that Trump will be spending time there. I think by then, he will using his North Jersey property."

I've been to Trump National Bedminster Golf Club. It's in the middle of super-rich horse country - you can see billionaire NY Jets owner Woody Johnson's estate in the distance, for instance. But the best part is that the Bedminster property in the 1980s was owned by John DeLorean. I know a guy who used to live there AND who is tight with Trump as well.

#backtothefuture

That's a good story. I'm sure the parties during the DeLeoran era were pretty good.
I used to caddy at Briar Hall Country Club in Briarcliff Manor prior to Trump buying it. My story is not as good as yours, lol but Phil Espisito used to call me 'sport', so I got that working for me.

[Judge Jude]

I was a caddy the year that Caddyshack came out. yeah, the members weren't as clever with their movie lines as they thought they were, but why risk losing a buck off the tip by telling them?

[revo]

To those defending Trump's weekly golf excursions, didn't Trump himself rail against Obama countless times against the same thing? Didn't he say, and I quote, that if he became president he "would never leave the White House?" Didn't he say, and I quote, that he "wouldn't have time to play golf?"

No one would care if he took these trips if he wasn't the biggest hypocrite anyone has ever seen. But now that he is, these are really indefensible.

[Moonlight J]

To those defending Trump's weekly golf excursions, didn't Trump himself rail against Obama countless times against the same thing?

[Moonlight J]

His golf excursions have already cost us $33M this year. He's been on 11 and each one is $3M in T&E for security detail & equipment per reports. 11 in 8 weeks.

Obama played 333 times over 416 weeks as President = 0.8 per week
Trump has played 11 times over 8 weeks as President = 1.38 per week

If he lasts his single term, he'll push 300 outings at his current rate

[Bernie Brewer]

So here's the thing. I'm not meaning to call out anyone for the last several posts, but I couldn't care less about about his travel plans, his playing golf, or the cost of his/the families secret service protection details, the cost to NYC for its protection of Trump Tower, or where he does the peoples business. He's the President and he can do as he pleases and the government bears the cost. All of that is a by-product of him winning the election. And no one like him has ever run for, or more over, won the Presidency. Expecting him to fall into line is silly. He did, in fact, criticize Obama for frequent Trips and we've learned that he's a hypocrite. Surprise!!! Like we didn't know this already. All of this handwringing is much ado about nothing. I kind of feel like all of this kind of nit picky bickering desensitizes us from the real areas of concern. Like placing "aides" in each office of his Cabinet members to ensure their loyalty. Or appointing people to be Secretaries of departments that they had no experience with or business running; Perry & the EPA is only one of many examples. Or his setting back the country's involvement in global environmental issues. Or, insulting Foreign leaders. Or his propensity to not understanding the basics of whatever the target of his scorn is at any given time, such as his lack of understanding about NATO "funding" while chastising Germany for not paying its "dues." There are so many more important issues than his travel.

[swampdragon]

You can add the fact that there doesn't seem to be any reporting on what Tillerson has been discussing across the world to the list of things that should be checkd

[revo]

So here's the thing. I'm not meaning to call out anyone for the last several posts, but I couldn't care less about about his travel plans, his playing golf, or the cost of his/the families secret service protection details, the cost to NYC for its protection of Trump Tower, or where he does the peoples business. He's the President and he can do as he pleases and the government bears the cost. All of that is a by-product of him winning the election. And no one like him has ever run for, or more over, won the Presidency. Expecting him to fall into line is silly. He did, in fact, criticize Obama for frequent Trips and we've learned that he's a hypocrite. Surprise!!! Like we didn't know this already. All of this handwringing is much ado about nothing. I kind of feel like all of this kind of nit picky bickering desensitizes us from the real areas of concern. Like placing "aides" in each office of his Cabinet members to ensure their loyalty. Or appointing people to be Secretaries of departments that they had no experience with or business running; Perry & the EPA is only one of many examples. Or his setting back the country's involvement in global environmental issues. Or, insulting Foreign leaders. Or his propensity to not understanding the basics of whatever the target of his scorn is at any given time, such as his lack of understanding about NATO "funding" while chastising Germany for not paying its "dues." There are so many more important issues than his travel.

And all of this equals one gigantic bucket of $hit!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Funny, I visited a client couple last week. I've known them a long time. I love them. Never discussed politics with them (Rule 1A - never discuss politics with clients), but when I last met them in October they revealed themselves to be big Trump fans. Anyway, last week was the first I had seen them since the election. And since part of my job is to react to the world, naturally I told them I was making some changes for them in light of the guy in office, "who surprisingly won in November." And the wife looks at me, holds her hands together , big smile on her face, and exclaims "YESSSS!!!!!!"

I was amazed at the pure giddiness, still! It was pure, unadulterated joy, gleaming with happiness. Even after all this. Amazing.

[nots]

His golf excursions have already cost us $33M this year. He's been on 11 and each one is $3M in T&E for security detail & equipment per reports. 11 in 8 weeks.

Obama played 333 times over 416 weeks as President = 0.8 per week
Trump has played 11 times over 8 weeks as President = 1.38 per week

If he lasts his single term, he'll push 300 outings at his current rate

So 0.8 is ok, but 1.38 is too much. Lucky for Obaam that he snuck in just under the line for what you consider acceptable.

[Moonlight J]

So 0.8 is ok, but 1.38 is too much. Lucky for Obaam that he snuck in just under the line for what you consider acceptable.

When did I define what was acceptable? I've said my larger beef is where he's playing the golf because it's lining his own pockets on our expense

[nots]

When did I define what was acceptable? I've said my larger beef is where he's playing the golf because it's lining his own pockets on our expense

I guess I missed the posts where you decried the amount of golf Obama was playing then, but if your larger beef is where he's playing, why break out the math to make that point?

[Moonlight J]

He's the one saying his predecessor played too much golf. He is currently well ahead of him albeit nowhere near Eisenhower's rate. At his current rate & cost per trip, he's ~$850M of costs and that's being funneled into his own properties. This is not OK.

8 years of Obama vacations cost $85M per McClatchy. Trump is currently 38% of the way to that figure in 8 weeks.

[Hornsby]

So here's the thing. I'm not meaning to call out anyone for the last several posts, but I couldn't care less about about his travel plans, his playing golf, or the cost of his/the families secret service protection details, the cost to NYC for its protection of Trump Tower, or where he does the peoples business. He's the President and he can do as he pleases and the government bears the cost. All of that is a by-product of him winning the election. And no one like him has ever run for, or more over, won the Presidency. Expecting him to fall into line is silly. He did, in fact, criticize Obama for frequent Trips and we've learned that he's a hypocrite. Surprise!!! Like we didn't know this already. All of this handwringing is much ado about nothing. I kind of feel like all of this kind of nit picky bickering desensitizes us from the real areas of concern. Like placing "aides" in each office of his Cabinet members to ensure their loyalty. Or appointing people to be Secretaries of departments that they had no experience with or business running; Perry & the EPA is only one of many examples. Or his setting back the country's involvement in global environmental issues. Or, insulting Foreign leaders. Or his propensity to not understanding the basics of whatever the target of his scorn is at any given time, such as his lack of understanding about NATO "funding" while chastising Germany for not paying its "dues." There are so many more important issues than his travel.

Sorry, he's an elected official, not the King or Emperor. He can be held accountable for unacceptable behavior, and his reckless spending on himself and his family is reckless, while attempting to slash other departments and programs that actually help people.

And we're covering all the other topics that you mention as well...they're not sliding under the radar.