President Donald Trump left the White House on Saturday morning without his destination disclosed to the press, with the presidential motorcade ultimately pulling into Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, at approximately 11:08 a.m., according to the White House press pool. The departure drew renewed attention to a pattern that has become a fixture of Trump’s second term — weekend trips to his own private properties, at taxpayer expense, during periods of significant national and international strain.
A Familiar Destination, A Familiar Pattern
Trump National Golf Club Washington D.C., located along the Potomac River in Sterling, Virginia, is a Tom Fazio-designed championship course that Trump has long favored for weekend outings. The presidential motorcade pulled into Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, at 11:08, with the pool unable to spot the president exit his vehicle, the press corps instead held at the tennis club. The property sits roughly 25 miles northwest of the White House, a short motorcade ride that has become routine throughout Trump’s presidency.
Press Corps Kept in the Dark
What made Saturday’s departure notable was how it was handled from the outset. The White House press corps was loaded into vans without being told where the president was going. It is a practice that recurs on Trump’s golf outings, with the destination only confirmed once the motorcade arrives. Once at the club, reporters were not permitted to directly observe the president, a standard arrangement during Trump’s golf visits that leaves the press unable to confirm whether a full round was actually played.
Tracking a president’s golf outings requires relying on a combination of official disclosures, press pool reports, and independent observation, because the White House does not publish a comprehensive golf log. When the president travels to a golf course, pool reporters are typically stationed nearby and report on arrival and departure times, though they are not usually permitted on the course itself.
The Cost to Taxpayers
Saturday’s outing is the latest in a long string of golf trips that have added up to a substantial bill for American taxpayers. Trump’s golf habit has cost taxpayers at least $101.2 million in travel and security expenses since his return to office, a figure that is two-thirds of his first-term golf total and has him on track to spend $300 million by the end of his second term, according to a HuffPost analysis.
In his second term, Trump has 109 confirmed golf days across 495 days in office, accounting for roughly 21.9 percent of his presidency — about one confirmed round every 4.6 days. During his first term, Trump spent 293 days on his own courses at a total cost to taxpayers of $151.5 million over four years.
Presidential golf outings carry significant costs related to transportation, security, and logistical support. Costs include Air Force One operating expenses, Secret Service protective detail expenses, and Coast Guard maritime security patrols. A 2019 Government Accountability Office report estimated each trip to Mar-a-Lago cost approximately $3.4 million — a figure based on 2017 dollars and likely higher today.
The Virginia Club’s Profile
Trump National Golf Club in Sterling has become one of Trump’s more frequently visited properties during his second term, in part due to its proximity to Washington. Trump attended a LIV Golf tournament at his Sterling, Virginia course earlier this month, marking his second golf event in two weeks at courses he owns. The club hosted the LIV Golf Virginia tournament on May 7-10, with Trump attending in a suite. The course itself measures 7,793 yards and sits along the Potomac River in Loudoun County.
Backdrop: Iran Conflict and Economic Pressure
The weekend getaway comes at a moment of significant geopolitical and domestic pressure for the administration. The United States and Iran traded strikes as recently as Wednesday, after Trump insisted he would not agree to a “crummy agreement” in ongoing negotiations to end the three-month-old war. Trump has held firm on his demands, stating that Iran was wrong to think he would feel pressure to make concessions before midterm elections.
Even as momentum builds toward a potential agreement, experts expect a logistical nightmare that could keep oil and gas prices stubbornly high for a long time, even if a deal is reached to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The economic toll of the conflict has begun registering in Trump’s polling. On inflation and rising prices, Trump’s approval has shifted from minus-33 to minus-45, with 40% of Republicans now disapproving of his handling of that issue — up from 28% in mid-February.
A Recurring Controversy
The broader question of presidential golf and its costs is not new to the Trump era, but it has sharpened during his second term as federal spending debates intensify. Jordan Libowitz of the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington stated that “at a time when gas prices are spiking and Americans across the country find themselves in an ever-worsening affordability crisis, the president has burned through over $100 million in taxpayer money in order to make promotional appearances at his golf courses and hobnob with millionaires and billionaires.”
The White House has previously pushed back on such characterizations. White House spokesman Davis Ingle told media that “President Trump is working 24/7 to Make America Great Again and make the world a safer place. Nobody works harder than President Trump who has delivered a record number of historic achievements.”
What the Pattern Signals
As of Saturday, the administration has offered no public schedule for the remainder of the weekend. The trip to Sterling follows a well-worn template: an unannounced departure, a motorcade to a Trump-branded property, and a press corps left to confirm details from a distance. Whether the backdrop is a trade dispute, a domestic legislative fight, or — as is the case now — an active military conflict abroad, the weekend golf routine has remained a consistent feature of the Trump presidency, one that continues to generate scrutiny over the use of public funds at properties that directly benefit the president.
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