• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Exclusive

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

An hour in the Oval Office with President Trump.

LeadershipPolitics

Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Trips So Far May Have Cost Taxpayers Up To $10 Million

By
Feliz Solomon
Feliz Solomon
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Feliz Solomon
Feliz Solomon
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 22, 2017, 3:07 AM ET

Keeping the U.S. President safe and comfortable is never cheap, and over the course of four years of a Donald Trump administration, American taxpayers may find themselves left with an even heftier bill than usual.

A recent investigation by the Washington Post estimates that since taking office, the President’s three trips to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida have already cost the federal treasury some $10 million. At this rate, the report says, travel and security for Trump and his family could run up a bill in the hundreds of millions of dollars by the end of his term.

That’s not normal. Citing a conservative-leaning watchdog group called Judicial Watch, which monitored expenses during the administration of former President Barack Obama and plans to continue their work with the new White House, the Post said Obama’s extracurricular travel and safety expenses likely amounted to about $97 million over eight years in office.

In the five weeks since his inauguration, the President has already spent three weekends at Mar-a-Lago, which he has begun referring to as the “Winter White House,” indicating that more is in store for the lavish private club situated on a beachfront property that was not designed with presidential security in mind. Some of the estimated $10 million spent on these three trips included paying for the Coast Guard to patrol the shoreline, according to the Post.

Local officials in Palm Beach County, where the estate is located, also reportedly plan to ask Washington to reimburse their expenditures on extra security and traffic management, which could amount to tens of thousands of dollars so far. The county has already spent about $60,000 a day in overtime police payments, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told the Post.

In New York, where First Lady Melania Trump has chosen to live with the couple’s school-aged son, the city pays roughly $500,000 each day to secure Trump Tower. This estimate, provided by police officials, could end up totaling about $183 million per year. Security for Trump’s extended family is also expected to run up a hefty tab.

For more on Trump’s finances, watch Fortune’s video:

Trump’s two sons, Eric and Donald Jr., have spent the past few weeks traveling the globe in their new capacity as the managers of their father’s business empire. Since the inauguration, the pair have visited the Dominican Republic to discuss property developments and the United Arab Emirates for the opening of a new Trump-brand golf resort. Next week, they will travel to Vancouver to christen a new Trump Tower.

Trump’s adult sons travel with Secret Service security details, sometimes stacking up bills as high as $100,000, according to records and purchase orders obtained by the Post. The report points out that, despite the President’s incomplete divestment—by handing over management to his sons but retaining his ownership rights—not only will taxpayers be footing the bill for an expansive security apparatus, but these visits are actually turning a profit for the Trump family business.

According to the Post, the departments of Defense and Homeland Security, which bear most of the costs, did not reply to the paper’s request for detailed data on expenses.

About the Author
By Feliz Solomon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Leadership

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Leadership

How a mom-and-pop car wash chain went from sticky notes to AI-powered operations that are upleveling every part of the company
AIAutomation
How a mom-and-pop car wash chain went from sticky notes to AI-powered operations that are upleveling every part of the company
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
59 minutes ago
Outnumbered: At $4 billion ClickUp, a 3:1 agent-to-human ratio is rewiring work itself
AIAI agents
Outnumbered: At $4 billion ClickUp, a 3:1 agent-to-human ratio is rewiring work itself
By Sage LazzaroMay 18, 2026
59 minutes ago
Solo founders are using AI to do the work of entire teams—but going it alone has limits
AIEntrepreneurs
Solo founders are using AI to do the work of entire teams—but going it alone has limits
By Beatrice NolanMay 18, 2026
59 minutes ago
Donald J. Trump
C-SuiteDonald Trump
EXCLUSIVE: An hour in the Oval Office with the CEO-in-Chief, President Trump
By Alyson ShontellMay 18, 2026
2 hours ago
shyam
CommentaryHealth
World Economic Forum: women’s health gets only 20% of R&D funding. We must seize this $1 trillion opportunity
By Shyam BishenMay 18, 2026
5 hours ago
This community college student is America’s entrant in the Olympics of skilled trades. ‘I always wanted to be the first female to do something’
Future of Workthe future of work
This community college student is America’s entrant in the Olympics of skilled trades. ‘I always wanted to be the first female to do something’
By Mike Householder and The Associated PressMay 17, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
AI
Microsoft AI chief gives it 18 months—for all white-collar work to be automated by AI
By Jake AngeloMay 16, 2026
2 days ago
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
Economy
The top foreign holders of U.S. debt may soon dump Treasury bonds and bring their money back home, potentially spiking borrowing costs
By Jason MaMay 17, 2026
16 hours ago
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
Politics
The Bezos family just donated $100 million to help achieve one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s top campaign promises
By Jake AngeloMay 12, 2026
6 days ago
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
Success
'No one was coming to save me': How Reese Witherspoon built a $900 million company from a problem Hollywood wouldn't fix
By Sydney LakeMay 17, 2026
22 hours ago
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
Politics
Former top Russian official admits the country is over Putin and can 'imagine a future without him' — even elites bail as Kremlin seizes their assets 
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
1 day ago
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
Innovation
SpaceX heads into a record-shattering IPO with the 'deepest moat that exists today' as investors vow to 'never bet against Elon'
By Jason MaMay 16, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.