Before he became the illegitimate President of the United States, Donald Trump was pointed in his criticism of President Obama’s travel and vacation itenary, often chastising Obama for his supposed liberal use of Air Force One and penchant for playing golf. His criticism of Obama can be summarized through his very liberal use of Twitter:
Now that he occupies the role of president, Trump has been afforded the perks of the presidency. And unlike then President Obama, Trump’s penchant for extravagance and leisure has been put on full display during his first month as the leader of the free world. And we, the American taxpayer, are paying for Trump’s bloated travel schedule. Per Think Progress:
On Monday, President Trump will return to Washington, D.C. from his private Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, where he’s spent the last three weekends.
The Washington Post reports that those three trips “probably cost the federal treasury about $10 million, based on figures used in an October government report analyzing White House travel, including money for Coast Guard units to patrol the exposed shoreline and other military, security and staffing expenses associated with moving the apparatus of the presidency.”
Trump has used Air Force One to travel to his Mar-a-Lago club, and he has been able to use the power of his office to elevate the club’s standing. Now prospective members are expected to part with $200,000 to gain membership. Trump has spent the last three weekends at the club, playing golf and enriching his pockets. How do these trips to Mar-a-Lago benefit the everyday American taxpayer? Well, Trump and his minions have crafted a plan to cut government services and defund institutions that promote the arts. Per Think Progress:
While Trump spent millions in taxpayer dollars on travel during his first month in office, his team put together a budget proposal that would cut cultural institutions and important services for poor people.
The proposal would eliminate “longstanding conservative targets like the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Legal Services Corporation, AmeriCorps and the National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities,” the New York Times reports. “Most of the programs cost under $500 million annually, a pittance for a government that is projected to spend about $4 trillion this year.”
We are also paying exorbitant amounts of money for Trump’s wife:
Taxpayers are also on the hook for protecting First Lady Melania Trump, who has decided to continue living in New York City. According to the Post, police officials estimate the annual cost of guarding Trump Tower could be as high as $183 million
And his children:
The three Mar-a-Lago getaways, combined with the hundreds of thousands of public dollars spent on Secret Service protection during two international trips Trump’s adult sons have taken to promote their father’s business, cost taxpayers about $11.3 million over the first month’s of Trump’s presidency, according to the UK-based Independent. President Obama, by contrast, spent an average of $12.1 million on travel each year.
Our government is becoming a kleptocracy and a kakistocray(government through theft and government by the worst people) right before our eyes. We must stop them!