Skip to main content

Newsweek: Trump Could be Forced to Pay for Trips to Mar-a-Lago in New Democrat Bill

May 17, 2017

President Donald Trump could be forced to pay for his trips to Mar-a-Lago and refund travel costs already spent on such weekend jaunts in a new bill introduced by a Democrat lawmaker.

California Rep. Ted Lieu shared details of the bill, which would require Trump to pay back the government for money it has spent covering trips taken by the president to properties he owns—including to the so-called winter White House.

"It is unacceptable for the president to maintain an interest in traveling to properties in which he has a direct financial interest, as the U.S. government is responsible for renting space for personnel in said private commercial entities," the Stop Waste and Misuse by the President (SWAMP) Act, quoted in The Washington Examiner, claims.

"Every time the president travels to Mar-a-Lago, he necessarily promotes his private business interests via free press at the government's expense."

Such trips cost around $3.7 million just for security, the bill estimated, in addition to expenditure such as flights.

But the SWAMP act would prevent the government from footing the bill for trips taken to hotels or similar accommodation that is owned by the person under secret service detail—meaning President Trump would have to wave goodbye to taxpayer-funded breaks to his winter White House and spend his own money on travel, security and associated costs of any trip to a commercial property he owns.

Mar-a-Lago has become the subject of controversy on several occasions following Trump's election victory, initially through the raising of fees for the private-members club that appeared to coincide with Trump's rise to power, and later through the state department's apparent promotion of Trump's property.

After sharing details of the private members club on its website in a post that detailed the history of the estate and referred to it as the winter White House, the department was forced to issue an apology after a number of complaints that taxpayer dollars were being spent on promoting Trump's private business.

The department apologized, stating: "The intention of the article was to inform the public about where the President has been hosting world leaders. We regret any misperception and have removed the post."

Trump has not commented on the proposed legislation.