Trump family’s elaborate lifestyle is a ‘logistical nightmare’ — at taxpayer expense

Washington Post ^ | February 16,2017 | Drew Harwell, Amy Brittain, and Jonathan O'Connell

[C19fan]

On Friday, President Trump and his entourage will jet for the third straight weekend to a working getaway at his oceanfront Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla. On Saturday, Trump’s sons Eric and Don Jr., with their Secret Service details in tow, will be nearly 8,000 miles away in the United Arab Emirates, attending the grand opening of a Trump-brand golf resort in the “Beverly Hills of Dubai.”

[nobamanomore]

Don’t forget the other dog we supported, Obama’s mother in law living, eating, travelling at our expense!

[DoodleDawg]

I think you missed the fact that the trip to Dubai doesn’t include the President.

The Dubai trip included the sons and their Secret Service detail.

Or are you arguing that Trump should not be allowed to leave Washington for the weekend?

I am not, as my Reply 46 clearly shows.

[Colinsky]

Members of Congress fly home almost every weekend. Long distance commuting by our political elites has been growing for decades.

According to documents obtained by Judicial Watch, Nancy Pelosi used Air Force aircraft on 85 flights from March 2009 through June 2010.

Among the highlights from the documents, obtained pursuant to a FOIA request filed on January 25, 2009:

Pelosi used the Air Force aircraft for a total of 85 trips, covering 206,264 miles, from March 2, 2009 through June 7, 2010. Pelosi, her guests and Air Force personnel logged a total of 428.6 hours on these flights.

The Speaker’s military travel cost the United States Air Force $2,100,744.59 over a two-year period — $101,429.14 of which was for in-flight expenses, including food and alcohol.

For example, purchases for one Pelosi-led congressional delegation traveling from Washington, DC, through Tel Aviv, Israel to Baghdad, Iraq May 15-20, 2008 included:

Johnny Walker Red scotch
Grey Goose vodka
E&J brandy
Bailey’s Irish Crème
Maker’s Mark whiskey
Courvoisier cognac
Bacardi Light rum
Jim Beam whiskey
Beefeater gin
Dewar’s scotch
Bombay Sapphire gin
Jack Daniels whiskey
Corona beer
and several bottles of wine.

http://www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-uncovers-new-documents-detailing-pelosis-use-air-force-aircraft/

[MortMan]

Thank you for responding to my honest question directly (it could have been read as a straw man, which is not how I meant it).

Given the clear vitriol aimed at Trump and his whole family, I certainly do not begrudge his family SS protection. Seeing that this trip, apparently, has been planned long in advance, I also do not begrudge the children their roles in the family business regarding heading to Dubai.

Presidential use of AF1 for non-official trips are supposed to be reimbursed, which is why so many first family political trips and vacations are prefaced by small official events in the same area. While this subterfuge is not entirely honest, it is also accepted, historically.

I think we disagree somewhat, but we both have reservations regarding the use of taxpayer money to support some aspects of these trips. In this case, I hope that Trump Enterprises will pay for the whole trip for the boys (on non-government planes), even though the SS protection detail will be government funded.

Provided, of course, that ethics laws allow for this.

[jjotto]

Yes. SS protection is nebulous for security reasons if nothing else. Congress has given DHS broad discretion in regard to SS protection.

[Twinkie]

OK. Well. Closer to half a million then.

[Fresh Wind]

Apples and oranges.

[houeto]

Not to mention their parties.

EVERY Wednesday night!

[Graybeard58]

PRESIDENT TRUMP is not taking a Presidential salary
(about a quarter of a million dollars right there).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Since 2001, the president has earned a $400,000 annual salary, along with a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account, and $19,000 for entertainment