Air Force personnel returning from the Middle East this spring stayed at a Scottish property owned by President Trump because it was the cheapest option available, the Pentagon says.
C-17 cargo plane crew members stayed at the Trump Turnberry golf resort on their way back from a supply mission to Kuwait at a rate of $136 per night, which was below the $166 limit set by the Air Force and less than the $161 rate of a nearby Marriott. The booking was made through the Defense Travel System, an online network used across the Pentagon for travel reservations and expenses.
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“While the Air Force is still reviewing all trip records, we found nothing that falls outside the guidelines associated with selecting stopover airports and travel routes or hotel accommodations for crew rest,” Pentagon chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman told reporters Monday.
President Trump responded to a Politico report detailing the revelation Monday via Twitter, claiming he had no knowledge of the Air Force’s decision to stay at Turnberry, about 50 miles from Glasgow.
“I know nothing about an Air Force plane landing at an airport (which I do not own and have nothing to do with) near Turnberry Resort (which I do own) in Scotland, and filling up with fuel, with the crew staying overnight at Turnberry (they have good taste!),” Trump said. “NOTHING TO DO WITH ME.”
I know nothing about an Air Force plane landing at an airport (which I do not own and have nothing to do with) near Turnberry Resort (which I do own) in Scotland, and filling up with fuel, with the crew staying overnight at Turnberry (they have good taste!). NOTHING TO DO WITH ME
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 9, 2019
The Air National Guard crew’s stay is being examined as part of a larger Air Force review into military spending at the Scottish Trump property.
The Air Force’s increased use of the Glasgow Prestwick Airport as a stopover between 2015 and 2019 predates the Trump administration and is “due to several key factors,” the Pentagon said.
“One, Prestwick is a 24-hour-a-day operation, which makes it a viable option for aircraft traveling to and from U.S. Central Command [area of responsibility] compared to other military stopover locations that have imposed increasingly restrictive operating hours,” Hoffman told reporters.
Prestwick was one of the top five favorable locations listed for such a stop by an Air Force directive to increase efficiency by standardizing route locations. Prestwick also has better weather than Ireland’s Shannon Airport and less aircraft parking congestion than locations in continental Europe, according to Hoffman.
“Airfields are chosen on a number of factors including weather, flight path, cost of fuel, priority missions, security clearances and apron space,” Hoffman said, adding that “every two and a half minutes a U.S. Air Force aircraft takes off and lands somewhere in the world.”
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein has ordered a review of accommodations for flight crews who travel internationally, but it focuses on luxury properties as a whole, not those specifically tied to Trump.
“And what we need to look at is even if something falls within the travel regulations, is it appropriate to stay at places that some may consider a luxury property or do we need to rethink that?” Hoffman said.
Trump handed over control of the Trump Organization to his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump when he took office in 2017 but has been criticized for not completely divesting himself from his business interests. Vice President Mike Pence’s recent visit to Ireland, which included a stay at a Trump resort, and Attorney General William Barr’s $30,000 contract to host a holiday party at Trump’s Washington hotel have drawn condemnation from opponents and watchdog groups. Barr chose the Trump hotel after discovering a number of other nearby hotels were not available, he said.
Trump suggested at last month’s G7 summit in France that the 2020 gathering, due to be hosted by the United States, would be held at Trump National Doral, a property he owns in Miami. Critics contend that would cross an ethical and constitutional line.
