Trump Racks Up Nearly $18 Million in Taxpayer Costs to Promote His Own Businesses

President Donald Trump has once again used taxpayer money to promote his private business interests, underscoring a disturbing pattern of self-enrichment while in office. His recent trip via Marine One from the White House to his Sterling, Virginia golf course to attend a Saudi Arabia-backed LIV Golf tournament added to a staggering total of nearly $18 million in government expenses for travel and security during his second term.

Trump’s golf courses have been closely tied to LIV Golf, a controversial league heavily financed by the Saudi government and now facing serious financial troubles. Since retaking office in January, Trump has made multiple taxpayer-funded trips to promote LIV events, including a previous Air Force One flight to a tournament at his Doral, Florida resort.

A detailed General Accountability Office analysis reveals that a single round-trip helicopter flight to one of Trump’s golf courses costs taxpayers about $115,000. These flights are just the tip of the iceberg. For example, a recent trip to Mar-a-Lago to speak at a luncheon for buyers of his crypto “meme” coins cost taxpayers at least $3.4 million due to the high security requirements of the Palm Beach estate.

Trump’s White House has remained silent when asked what benefit American taxpayers receive from these costly excursions or whether Trump intends to reimburse the government for these expenses. Meanwhile, watchdog groups like Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington condemn these trips as blatant pay-to-play promotions that exploit the presidency for personal gain.

This pattern extends beyond golf. Trump’s crypto exchange, World Liberty Financial, is reported to be a massive money-maker for the former president, potentially netting him billions by selling tokens that have no intrinsic value. His public appearances often serve as marketing events for these ventures, funded by the taxpayers he is supposed to serve.

Since returning to office, Trump has spent over $100 million of government funds on golfing at his own properties, a HuffPost analysis found. The most expensive promotional trip was a $9.7 million event in Scotland last summer for the opening of a golf course at his Aberdeen resort, complete with White House staff broadcasting the event live.

At a time when Americans face economic hardship and the country is embroiled in foreign conflicts, Trump’s prioritization of his personal empire over public service is not just unethical—it is an abuse of the highest order. The ongoing use of government resources to bankroll Trump’s business ventures demands urgent accountability and transparency.

We will continue to track these abuses and hold power to account. Because when presidents use the office to enrich themselves, democracy is the real loser.