F Trump Wrote:
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> Trump’s three Mar-a-Lago trips since the
> inauguration have 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.
>
> In New York, the city is paying $500,000 a day to
> guard Trump Tower, according to police
> officials’ estimates, an amount that could reach
> $183 million a year.
>
> This month, The Post reported that Secret Service
> and U.S. Embassy staffers paid nearly $100,000 in
> hotel-room bills to support Eric Trump’s trip to
> promote a Trump-brand condo tower in Uruguay.
>
> For Trump, the costs come with an additional perk:
> Some of the money flows into his own pocket. While
> Trump has removed himself from managing his
> company, he has refused to divest his ownership,
> meaning that he benefits from corporate successes
> such as government contracts.
>
> The Defense Department and Secret Service, for
> instance, have sought to rent space in Trump
> Tower, where leasing a floor can cost $1.5 million
> a year — though neither agency has disclosed any
> details. In addition, Trump’s travel to his
> signature properties while trailed by a press
> corps beaming images to the world allows the
> official business of the presidency to double as
> marketing opportunities for his brand.
>
> Presidential families have for decades been
> guaranteed round-the-clock protection, no matter
> the expense or destination. Every presidency has
> brought new operational challenges and lifestyle
> habits, from George W. Bush’s frequent stays at
> his remote ranch in Texas to Obama’s annual
> trips to Martha’s Vineyard and his native state
> of Hawaii. Judicial Watch estimated that
> Obama-related travel expenses totaled nearly $97
> million over eight years.
>
> But based on the first four weeks, Trump’s
> presidency appears on track to cost hundreds of
> millions of dollars more.
>
> “This is an expensive way to conduct business,
> and the president should recognize that,” said
> Tom Fitton, president of the conservative group
> Judicial Watch, which closely tracked President
> Barack Obama’s family vacation costs and said
> that it intends to continue the effort for the
> Trump administration.
> “The unique thing about President Trump is that
> he knows what it costs to run a plane,” Fitton
> added, noting that Trump should consider using the
> presidential retreat of Camp David, a short
> helicopter ride from the White House, or even his
> golf course in Northern Virginia. Of Mar-a-Lago,
> Fitton said, “Going down there ain’t free.”
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