Before he was president, Donald Trump’s favorite pastime was mocking then-President Barack Obama for taking vacations, and now the newly minted President Trump is preparing for a vacation of his own.
On Friday, Trump will head off to his luxury New Jersey golf course for 17 days of rest and relaxation, the Associated Press reported. It will be the president’s first extended vacation since his inauguration, but if we’re being real it’s actually his 14th since taking the Oval Office.
Besides complaining about Obama’s vacations, Trump constantly criticized the cost of Obama’s family getaways and time on the golf course. But since taking office, it doesn’t seem Trump has applied the same standards to himself — a recent analysis by conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch tallied the cost of eight years of Obama vacations at just under $100 million. Trump’s frequent long weekend trips away during the first 80 days of his presidency cost $20 million, CNN reported, putting him on pace to outspend Obama in his first few years.
“I would rarely leave the White House because there’s so much work to be done,” Trump said last year during his presidential campaign. “I would not be a president who took vacations. I would not be a president that takes time off.”
Every president since the dawn of the Republic has taken vacations, but unlike Trump, other presidents haven’t gone out of their ways to condemn them either.
“Don’t take vacations. What’s the point? If you’re not enjoying your work, you’re in the wrong job,” Trump wrote in his 2004 book, “Trump: Think Like a Billionaire.”
“Don’t take vacations. What’s the point? If you’re not enjoying your work, you’re in the wrong job.” — Think Like A Billionaire
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 19, 2012
In an interview with Larry King that same year, Trump said he “rarely” goes away, but the facts beg to differ.
Since Inauguration Day Trump has spent nearly half — 13 of his 28 — weekends away from the White House, his favorite haunts being Mar-a-Lago and his Bedminster, New Jersey estate, according to the AP.
Trump frequently criticized Obama’s penchant for hitting the links, but Trump has played nearly twice as much golf in his first six months on the job than Obama did — Obama played 11 games of golf from Inauguration Day through Aug. 1, while Trump has played 21 games, according to Poli-Fact. Obama went on to play 333 games of golf throughout his eight years.
Here are a few of Trump’s tweets criticizing Obama’s work ethic that don’t necessarily hold up now that he’s the one in office:
Pres. Obama is about to embark on a 17 day vacation in his ‘native’ Hawaii, putting Secret Service away from families on Christmas. Aloha!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2013
We pay for Obama’s travel so he can fundraise millions so Democrats can run on lies. Then we pay for his golf.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2014
Obama has admitted that he spends his mornings watching @ESPN. Then he plays golf, fundraises & grants amnesty to illegals.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 16, 2014
Can you believe that,with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf.Worse than Carter
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 14, 2014
The Obama’s Spain vacation cost taxpayers over $476K http://t.co/W6kIpd5x They love to spend money.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2012
President Obama has a major meeting on the N.Y.C. Ebola outbreak, with people flying in from all over the country, but decided to play golf!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 24, 2014
When will Obama next go on vacation if he wins the election? The day after.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2012
