You’ve probably heard the jokes. Or maybe you saw the angry tweets back in the day. The idea of Donald Trump too many holidays has been a sticking point for critics and a shrug for supporters since he first stepped into the Oval Office.
Some people say he never worked. Others say he was the hardest working president ever. Honestly, the truth is tucked somewhere between a scorecard at Bedminster and the official White House call logs.
It's kinda wild when you look at the numbers. During his first term, Trump spent roughly 378 days—over a full year—at his own properties. That’s a lot of time away from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. But did he actually take "too many holidays," or was he just changing the venue of the office?
The Great Golf Debate: More Than Just a Game?
The most common jab involves the golf course. Before he was elected, Trump famously tweeted that he’d "rarely leave the White House" because there was so much work to do. He even hammered Barack Obama for playing too much golf.
Then he got the keys to the place.
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According to various tracking sites and news outlets like NBC News and golfnewsnet.com, Trump visited his golf clubs over 300 times during his four-year term. To put that in perspective, Obama played about 333 rounds of golf over eight years. Trump nearly matched that in half the time.
Basically, he wasn't just taking a holiday; he was living a lifestyle that revolved around his own resorts.
Whether it was Mar-a-Lago in the winter or Bedminster in the summer, the "Southern White House" became a real thing. It wasn't just about relaxation, though. He hosted world leaders like Shinzo Abe and Xi Jinping at these spots. Supporters argue these were "working vacations" where deals got done over the back nine. Critics? They just saw a massive bill for the taxpayers.
What It Actually Cost You
Let’s talk money. Presidential travel isn't cheap. It’s not like he’s hopping on a Delta flight and staying at a Marriott.
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Every time the President moves, Air Force One moves. The Secret Service moves. Communications teams, medical staff, and military advisors all follow. A GAO (Government Accountability Office) report once estimated that just four trips to Mar-a-Lago in early 2017 cost about $13.6 million.
- Air Force One Operating Costs: Roughly $200,000 per flight hour.
- Security Details: Millions spent on local police overtime and Coast Guard patrols.
- The Trump Organization: Since he stayed at his own properties, the government often ended up paying the Trump Organization for rooms and space for the Secret Service.
That last part is what really gets people fired up. It’s one thing to spend money on security; it’s another when that money flows back into the President’s own pockets. It’s a messy ethical gray area that we haven't seen with other modern presidents.
Comparing the "Vacationer-in-Chief"
If we’re being fair, every president gets roasted for taking time off. George W. Bush spent a massive amount of time at his ranch in Crawford, Texas—over 1,000 days across two terms. Ronald Reagan loved his ranch in California.
The difference? Those were private residences. They weren't commercial hotels or golf clubs charging the government for a room.
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Trump’s travel was frequent, but he also didn't take "vacations" in the traditional sense of unplugging. He was always on Twitter. He was always calling into cable news. He was "working," just not in the way people expected a president to work.
Donald Trump Too Many Holidays: Why the Criticism Stuck
The "too many holidays" label stuck because of the perceived hypocrisy. If you spend years calling your predecessor lazy for taking a week in Martha’s Vineyard, people are going to notice when you’re at your own club every other weekend.
By 2026, we’ve seen the cycle repeat with Joe Biden and his trips to Delaware. It seems like the "vacation" attack is the go-to weapon for whichever party is out of power. But with Trump, the sheer volume of trips to his own branded properties made it a unique story in American history.
He didn't see it as taking time off. He saw it as "business as usual," just from a more comfortable chair.
Actionable Insights: How to Track Presidential Spending
If you’re interested in how your tax dollars are being spent on executive travel, you don’t have to rely on partisan talking points. You can actually find the real data.
- Check GAO Reports: The Government Accountability Office periodically releases audits on presidential travel costs. These are the gold standard for factual accuracy.
- Follow Non-Partisan Trackers: Organizations like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) or Judicial Watch (on the conservative side) often file FOIA requests to get the literal receipts.
- Understand the "Working" Label: Remember that "vacation" for a president is a misnomer. They are never off the clock; the nuclear football is always within reach, regardless of whether they are on a beach or in the Oval Office.
Monitoring these expenses is part of being an informed citizen. Whether you think it’s "too many holidays" or just a different way of leading, the bill is something we all share.