Isabella Carter
There is a longstanding arrangement that prevents taxpayers from footing the entire bill for political trips. When the president flies for political purposes, the campaign is supposed to pay the bill. However, during an election year, the line between governing and campaigning can be blurry. The White House uses Sikorsky helicopters, known as Marine One, and custom Boeing 747s, known as Air Force One, to transport the president. Trump's team reimbursed the federal government nearly $4.7 million for travel expenses during the 2020 race.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who pays for the president's travel on the campaign trail? | The campaign is supposed to pay the bill. |
| Who pays for the president's travel for official business? | The taxpayers pay for the official business of White House travel. |
| Who pays for the president's security costs? | The Secret Service's security costs are paid for by the taxpayer. |
| How much did Trump's team reimburse the federal government for travel expenses during the 2020 race? | $4.7 million |
| How much did the Trump administration spend on travel to Florida in 2013? | $3 million |
| How much does the Secret Service spend on travel? | $58 million during the 2016 election |
| How much does it cost to operate Marine One? | $16,700 to $20,000 per hour |
| How much does it cost to operate Air Force One? | $165,000 to $180,000 per hour |
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What You'll Learn
Trump's reimbursement of $4.7 million for 2020 travel expenses
In 2019, it was reported that Trump's trips to Mar-a-Lago cost taxpayers $3.4 million each. This figure was based on the costs of four trips early on in his presidency, which totalled $13.6 million. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, requested by congressional Democrats, found that the government spent $10.6 million on the operating costs of aircraft and boats, and $3 million on temporary duty costs, including transportation, lodging, meals and other expenses.
Trump's travel expenses have been a point of contention for some time. In 2017, liberal groups joined Judicial Watch in scrutinising his travel costs. Before Trump's Mar-a-Lago meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the group Public Citizen criticised him for spending an estimated $3 million. This estimate was based on a 2013 trip by President Obama to Palm Beach, which cost $3.6 million.
Trump himself criticised Obama for his travel expenses, tweeting in 2014:
> "I say we cannot continue to let Obama fly around on Air Force 1, at a cost of millions of dollars a day, for the purpose of politics & play!"
However, Trump's reimbursement of $4.7 million for 2020 travel expenses during the election race suggests that he did repay some of the costs incurred by taxpayers.
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Trump's travel costs compared to Obama's
While there are no definitive reports on the cost of Trump's travel, it is possible to compare the travel costs of the Trump and Obama administrations using estimates and data obtained through the Freedom of Information Act.
Trump was a vocal critic of Obama's travel expenses during his presidency, taking to Twitter to express his outrage over the cost to taxpayers for Obama's trips. However, during his first three months in office, Trump's administration had already racked up $190,000 in lodging and transportation costs for federal agents protecting his sons, Eric and Donald Trump Jr., on their travels. Additionally, Trump's frequent trips to his Mar-a-Lago resort and his private golf club in New Jersey incurred significant expenses. By August 2017, Trump had made seven trips to Mar-a-Lago, costing taxpayers approximately $3 million per trip, for a total of $21 million.
In comparison, Obama spent just under $97 million on travel during his eight years as president, according to documents reviewed by Judicial Watch. This included personal trips, such as ski vacations and family holidays, as well as official business. A four-day trip to Palm Beach, Florida, in 2013 cost approximately $3.6 million, which was used as a basis for estimating the cost of Trump's similar trips to Mar-a-Lago.
In terms of reimbursement, Trump's campaign reimbursed the federal government nearly $4.7 million for travel expenses during the 2020 race. In contrast, an entity affiliated with the Democratic National Committee reimbursed the government for over $700,000 for Obama's travel expenses in 2010.
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The role of the Hatch Act
While the US President is not bound by the Hatch Act, which limits government officials' participation in political activities, his campaign must adhere to FEC rules on travel. This means that the government must be reimbursed by the president's campaign or political party for the "political" aspects of a trip. This rule also applied to former President Donald Trump, who had previously criticised President Obama for using Air Force One for campaigning.
The determination of what constitutes a "political" trip is not always clear-cut, and there is no transparency around how officials make this decision. While the White House does not release the cost of individual trips, payments from the Trump campaign to the government are disclosed in quarterly campaign finance reports. However, there is no way to link a specific payment to a particular trip.
In addition, even for purely political trips, the presidential campaign is not required to reimburse the government for the cost of operating Air Force One, which is estimated at $165,000 per hour. This presents a challenge for presidents who are both commanders-in-chief and leaders of their political parties.
The responsibility for calculating the percentage of a president's travels that are campaign-related falls on the White House counsel's office. This calculation is used to determine the amount of reimbursement owed to the federal government by the president's campaign. While there may be variations in the pace of reimbursement, both Republican and Democratic administrations have generally adhered to the regulations.
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The cost of Air Force One
The high cost of the new Air Force One program can be attributed to various factors, including research and development, high costs of goods and transportation, supply chain issues, and labour shortages. The program has also been impacted by delays, with the delivery date potentially pushed beyond 2029, resulting in increased overhead costs.
Despite the high cost of the new Air Force One program, it is important to note that the federal government is reimbursed by the appropriate political organization for the costs of political travel. This reimbursement process helps to alleviate the financial burden on taxpayers.
In conclusion, the cost of Air Force One is significant, with the new aircraft expected to be the most expensive ever built. The high cost is driven by various factors, including technical specifications, security measures, and operational requirements. The reimbursement process for political travel helps to offset these costs, ensuring that taxpayers are not burdened with the full expense.
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The cost to local governments
The cost of presidential travel has been a topic of interest for decades, with the public eye closely watching the expenses incurred by the White House during election seasons. While the president's campaign or political party is required to reimburse the government for the "political" aspects of a trip, the determination of what constitutes a "political" trip remains opaque. This lack of transparency makes it challenging to ascertain the exact costs borne by local governments when hosting the president for political campaigning.
During Donald Trump's presidency, his frequent trips to his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida drew significant attention from government watchdogs and members of Congress. One presidential trip to the Palm Beach area in 2013 cost taxpayers around $3 million, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimate. The Palm Beach Sheriff's Office also estimated paying $60,000 in overtime pay each day when President Trump was in the area. During the Thanksgiving holiday, the county incurred $248,000 in overtime wages due to the president's visit.
New York City, home to Trump Tower, requested $35 million from Congress to recoup the costs of protecting the president between Election Day and his swearing-in. Congress eventually allocated $7 million, recognizing the need for heightened security measures at the president's midtown residence.
While Trump's campaign committee has reimbursed the Treasury Department for some expenses, as evidenced by quarterly campaign finance reports, the lack of detailed information from the White House makes it challenging to determine the exact reimbursement amounts for each trip.
In comparison, President Joe Biden's campaign spent over $192 million in the 2020 race, including travel expenses. The Biden campaign is expected to reimburse the federal government for a significant portion of these expenses, although the exact calculations are yet to be determined.
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Frequently asked questions
Taxpayers pay for what is considered the official business of White House travel, which often involves policy pronouncements, bill signings, and speeches. The president's campaign or political party are required to reimburse the government for the "political" aspects of a visit.
It is up to the White House counsel's office to determine what percentage of the president's travels are campaign-related. This calculation can be challenging when the White House adds an official event to an otherwise political trip.
Yes, payments from the Trump campaign to the government show up in quarterly campaign finance reports. However, there is no way to determine which payment corresponds to which trip.
While the exact figure is unknown, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) estimate from 2016 found that a presidential trip to the Palm Beach area in 2013 cost taxpayers around $3 million.
