Beach golf course, itself a short drive from the county jail.

As the U.S. government shutdown enters its fifth week, affecting nearly 1.4 million federal workers, President Donald Trump has chosen to spend the weekend in Florida, indulging in one of his favorite pastimes — golf.

On Friday, Trump flew to his Mar-a-Lago resort, marking a full month since the shutdown began. The trip, estimated to cost $3.4 million in taxpayer funds, brings the total cost of his golf-related travels since returning to office in January to roughly $60.7 million, according to federal travel and aviation records.

This is Trump’s 13th visit to his Palm Beach club during his second term, located just across from his West Palm Beach golf course. When questioned about the ongoing shutdown — which has left 700,000 employees furloughed and another 700,000 working without pay — Trump deflected blame onto Democrats, telling reporters, “It’s their fault. Everything is their fault.”

Lavish Renovations Amid Crisis

While en route to Florida, Trump posted photos on Truth Social highlighting his newest White House renovation: a marble-and-gold redesign of the Lincoln bathroom. “The Refurbished Lincoln Bathroom in the White House — Highly polished, Statuary marble!” he captioned the post.

The update follows previous criticism over his costly remodeling projects, which include replacing the Rose Garden with a paved patio and tearing down the East Wing to construct a new ballroom. Critics argue these extravagant upgrades — alongside his frequent golf trips — reflect misplaced priorities during a national crisis.

A Costly Presidential Hobby

Since retaking office, Trump has maintained his long-standing routine of frequent golf outings. In just nine months, he has played at his properties in Florida, New Jersey, and Scotland a total of 76 times. If he plays again this weekend, it will mark his 77th round, meaning he has spent over a quarter of his second term on the golf course.

Among those trips was a $10 million golf vacation in Scotland, where the White House communications team promoted the opening of his new Aberdeen resort.

By comparison, during his first term (2017–2021), Trump logged 293 golf days, costing taxpayers an estimated $151.5 million.

As federal employees continue to miss paychecks and rely on food banks, critics say the president appears more focused on personal comfort than resolving the shutdown — trading the Oval Office for the golf course while millions of Americans wait for relief.