UPPER LINE
President Trump on Sunday defended the game of golf amid an increasingly terrible pandemic and economic crisis, calling it his “exercise” and mistakenly claiming that former President Barack Obama played more golf during his tenure.
TURNBERRY, SCOTLAND – JULY 15: United States President Donald Trump plays a game of golf at Trump Turnberry … [+]
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MAIN ASPECTS
Trump visited his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, where he was greeted by a group of protesters, including one dressed as a grim reaper with a “137K” sign, alluding to the deaths in the United States of coronavirus, according to pool journalist SV Date.
The trip marks his 276th visit to a golf course in his 1,270 days as president – more than 1 every 5 days – a common critical point for his opponents, who claim that his golfing habits are indicative of a low-key approach at work.
But Trump defended his golf on Twitter, claiming “many in business and politics that work ad infinitum, in some cases to a point of fatigue,” and stating that “it’s their number one passion in life, but nobody complains. “
“My” exercise “is to play, almost never during the week, a quick round of golf,” added Trump, mistakenly stating that Obama “has played longer and longer, without any problems.”
But Trump’s golfing record with six months to go in his first term far exceeds Obama’s 113 rounds of golf during his first term in office, something that Republicans have often criticized him for.
Key quote
The president is obviously angry about what he considers an unfair press. “When I play, Fake News CNN and others park everywhere to take a picture, so they scream” President Trump is playing golf, “he tweeted.” Actually, I play VERY quickly, I do a lot of work on the golf course and I also do a “small” exercise. Not bad!”
Principal critic
“Another horrible fact of the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic: Trump has played golf more times in the past two months than he has met with Dr. Fauci,” tweeted former Labor Secretary Robert Reich.
Big number
$ 105 million. Forbes Collaborator Chuck Jones estimated in July 2019 that the current cost of Trump’s golf travel – travel, safety and other expenses – amounted to $ 105 million. He also predicted that, at the rate of Trump playing golf, it would cost up to $ 340 million over the course of 8 years.
News Peg
Trump’s golfing out comes as the United States is plummeting back into the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. Cases have increased across the country, with many states recently hit hard in the south and west that have withdrawn their reopenings, such as Louisiana, which issued a masquerade mandate on Saturday and limited bars and large gatherings. The United States had at least 3.17 million cases and 133,666 virus deaths, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control.
