Donald Trump plays his 'ninth round of golf' in seven weeks as President
Donald Trump might have routinely relished in lambasting Barack Obama for playing golf but it seems he also has a penchant for the sport. The President has reportedly played golf nine times in the seven weeks he has held office.
NBC editor Bradd Jaffy reported the billionaire property developer has played golf nine times since becoming president.
“President Trump is at Trump National Golf Club in Potomac Falls, VA, per pool; it's his 9th golf course trip since taking office 7 weeks ago,” he wrote on Twitter.
The White House pushed back on suggestions the president was playing golf this weekend at his course and shared a photo of Mr Trump and his Cabinet secretaries having a meeting at the club. According to pool reports, the Trump team were discussing healthcare efforts, the economy and national security issues.
“Trump makes his ninth golf course visit as president. He’s been in office seven weeks,” said a tweet from The Hill which included an old photo of Mr Trump playing golf.
White House Social Media Director Dan Scavino Jr noted the tweet featured a picture from last month of Mr Trump golfing in Jupiter with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Mr Scavino claimed tweet was “Giving followers wrong impression of @POTUS golfing right now. I took that pic last month in FL. He’s here, working.”
.@POTUS meeting with his senior staff at Trump national golf club in VA .per pool producer. pic.twitter.com/mHBjQC2T5q
— Fin Gomez (@finnygo) March 11, 2017
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer also condemned the image, claiming it was “misleading and wrong.”
An early pool report mentioning his golf club visit did not specify whether the president was planning to golf there or just visiting the club.
On the campaign trail Mr Trump pledged not to play golf if he was elected President because he would be too busy.
Prior to taking office, Mr Trump regularly rebuked President Obama for playing golf and did so as recently as January 2015.
“Can you believe that, with all of the problems and difficulties facing the U.S., President Obama spent the day playing golf. Worse than Carter,” he wrote in October 2014.
The previous month he wrote: "Can you believe we still have not gotten our Marine out of Mexico. He sits in prison while our PRESIDENT plays golf and makes bad decisions!"
A representative for Mr Trump did not immediately respond to request for comment.
