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Trump’s Mar-a-Lago visits are hurting the local economy: Report – Metro US

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago visits are hurting the local economy: Report

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago visits are hurting the local economy: Report
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President Donald Trump’s frequent visits to Palm Beach, Florida, are costing taxpayers and the local economy, bigly. Less than two months into his administration, Trump’s travel price tag is already well into the millions.

While the county home to Trump’s ritzy Mar-a-Lago resortseeks reimbursement for security costs,businesses are also feeling the pinch from the president’s four “Winter White House” visits, aNBC News report finds.

Palm Beach County Mayor Paulette Burdicksaid she’s written a letter to the federal governmentasking to be reimbursed for $1.7 million in security costs. Burdick says the municipality still hasn’t received a response.

One business owner said the president’s visits have cost him $30,000 each weekend in lost business.

“I don’t know that my business can sustain heavy losses like that,”Jonathan Miller, CEO of Stellar Aviation Group, told NBC.

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“We’re basically going broke,” a spokesperson for Southern Helicopter told the news outlet. “We were not expecting him to come down almost every weekend.”

Judicial Watch, anonpartisan budget watchdog group estimated Trump’s four visits to the resort have cost $3 million in Secret Service and Air Force One expenses alone.

CBS News reported last month that the president’s first three visits cost an estimated $10 million, between Secret Service and Coast Guard security, though the White House won’t disclose the actual costs.

Trump has frequently blasted his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, for his travel habits. In 2012, Trumptweeted, “President Obama’s vacation is costing taxpayers millions of dollars — Unbelievable!” Two years later, he tweeted again:

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But according to calculations from theWashington Post, Trump is on track to out-spend Obama’s eight-year travel costs – $97 million – in less than a year.

Up north, the first family is drawing ire from taxpayers in New York City, as well. Protecting Trump Tower, where Melania Trump and youngest son Barron still live, has cost the city $308,000 per day, or about $24 million from Election Day to Inauguration Day.

A spokesman for Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city is “seeking full federal reimbursement” for all costs associated with protecting the Trump family at the skyscraper.

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