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LeadershipPolitics

Trump’s Travel Spending for One Year Could Surpass Expenses For Obama’s Entire Term

By
Feliz Solomon
Feliz Solomon
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By
Feliz Solomon
Feliz Solomon
Down Arrow Button Icon
April 11, 2017, 3:19 AM ET

One year’s worth of travel expenses for President Donald Trump looks likely to surpass spending for the entire eight-year term of his predecessor Barack Obama, having already cost American taxpayers an estimated $20 million in his first 80 days alone.

CNN reports that Trump’s frequent visits to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida—where he has hosted world leaders including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping—have already racked up a bill of about $21.6 million.

The costs are estimated based on a 2016 accountability report finding that a four-day trip by Obama in 2013 cost $3.6 million, mostly spent on providing Secret Service and Coast Guard services. Despite Trump’s apparent outsized expenditures, he has long cast criticism on Obama for traveling on the taxpayer’s dime.

Obama, however, spent less than $97 million on travel-related costs throughout his eight years in the Oval Office, according to a conservative-leaning watchdog group called Judicial Watch. The travel analyzed in the audit includes both personal and work-related travel, according to CNN.

For more on travel, watch Fortune’s Video:

Trump looks set to outspend Obama by the end of the year, having already made six trips to Mar-a-Lago, and while those visits may become less frequent as the Florida weather heats up, he is expected to instead use his New York apartment or his New Jersey golf club as White House alternatives.

First Lady Melania Trump currently resides in the penthouse unit of Trump Tower in mid-town Manhattan while the couple’s son is still in school. The city of New York spends an estimated $127,000 to $146,000 per day to provide security, according to recent police estimates reported by the New York Times, adding up to about $50-60 million each year.

About the Author
By Feliz Solomon
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