President Donald Trump’s golf expenses have topped $71 million since January 2025, sparking fresh criticism as author Rick Reilly mocked his claims about winning 38 club championships
Donald Trump claims he has won 38 Gold Championships
President Donald Trump’s detractors are fuming over his regular golf outings that are draining millions from American taxpayers, with his latest brag about his beloved pastime prompting one critic to brand him a “toddler.”
Fresh figures reveal that since Trump took office again in January 2025, expenses tied to his golf-related trips and protection have already exceeded $71 million, with estimates indicating the tab could balloon past $300 million before his term wraps up.
A new breakdown by HuffPost discovered that his constant visits to his personal properties in Palm Beach, Bedminster, and Scotland are behind the eye-watering costs. A single round-trip journey on Air Force One from Washington to Florida apparently runs about $1.1 million.
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“I really wish I could tell you that it would make anyone in America change their mind about him, but the corruption is so baked in, so endemic, and so ludicrous that it feels like the collective reaction will be a shrug,” conservative political strategist Rick Wilson shared with HuffPost.
Donald Trump criticized for spending tax-payers money on golf travel(Image: Getty Images)
“It’s one more example of Trump defining the presidency down. Way, way down,” Wilson added, reports the Irish Star.
What’s really stirred up anger is the gap between Trump’s earlier pledges and what he’s doing now. Back in 2016, while campaigning, Trump slammed then-President Barack Obama for his regular time on the golf course.
“I love golf but if I were in the White House, I don’t think I’d ever see Turnberry again,” Trump remarked to The Independent in 2016. “I’d just want to stay in the White House and work my ass off.”
Despite this claim, Trump has reportedly spent $151.5 million on golf-related travel and security during his first term, with his second term already on track to exceed that figure.
A significant portion of these costs stem from comprehensive security measures, jet fuel, and flight hours. The Center for American Progress Action Fund suggests that even shorter resort stays or golf weekends can add millions to the bill – funds that critics argue could be better used for public health or social programs.
During a Thanksgiving call with service members, Trump boasted about his golfing prowess, claiming he had defeated a 27 year old competitor – whom he referred to as “a plus-three” – the previous year.
“I’ve won 38 club championships, and I don’t get to practice much,” Trump stated. “I beat a 27-year-old kid last year. The fairway doesn’t know how old you are. When you’re walking up the middle, and he’s in the rough, age doesn’t matter.”
These claims quickly drew ridicule from former Sports Illustrated columnist Rick Reilly, who has previously accused the President of cheating in various ways in his book. Reilly swiftly took to X to mock Trump’s latest boasts about his accomplishments.
Reilly posted: “Ha! Trump adds about 10 every time he brings this up. Problem is, he hasn’t actually won any [club championships]. None.”
He added: “You beat Trump, he throws you out of the club. It’s like when you let your toddler beat you in a foot race. He thinks it’s real.”
Reilly didn’t hold back on Trump in his book, “Commander-in-Cheat,” where he dished the dirt on the president’s golf course antics. He penned: “To say ‘Donald Trump cheats’ is like saying ‘Michael Phelps swims.'”
As more golf outings are on the horizon, the price tag is predicted to skyrocket – highlighting the increasing demands for accountability, transparency and reform.
