If President Trump is looking to cut government spending, he may want to consider permanently relocating to Mar-a-Lago.
At the very beginning of his presidency, Trump took four trips to his Palm Beach, Florida resort in the span of one month. They cost the government a total of $13.6 million, a Tuesday report from the Government Accountability Office reveals.
During Trump's four trips between Feb. 3 and March 5 2017, Trump racked up an average of $1 million every day, not including "certain classified cost information," the report says. Here are some costs that were included.
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1. $124,000 for bomb-sniffing dogs. The report helpfully includes a picture of one of them.
2. $3,202,000 to operate the Air Mobility Command, which includes transporting Trump's massive limo by plane.
3. $3.4 million to the Coast Guard for the use of boats and aircrafts "to provide support in waterways near Mar-a-Lago," per the report. They sourced support from Coast Guard sectors in Miami, Georgia, New Orleans, Houston, Boston, and New York.
4. $1.6 million for Secret Service protection, including booking "a limited number" of Mar-a-Lago rooms around Trump "to provide 360-degree protection," and renting additional Secret Service lodging at nearby hotels that were apparently cheaper.
5. $60,000 paid directly to Mar-a-Lago, a Trump Organization-owned property, including $24,000 in lodging for Defense officials and $36,000 to rent space for Secret Service operations.
These charges don't include paying salaries and benefits to personnel traveling with Trump or preparing for his trips, the report says. They also don't include any meals or incidental charges racked up by federal employees at Mar-a-Lago, so there's no telling what went missing from the mini fridge.
