The cost of protecting President Trump during his frequent stays at the Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., is nearing $4 million, according to a report Wednesday.
The tab is approaching $3.7 million, according to estimates drawn up by local agencies, the Palm Beach Post reported.
The majority of that amount, $3.5 million, was paid by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Local law enforcement from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, which helps with security when Trump is in town, works overtime at a rate of $60,000 a day, per an estimate provided to CNN.
Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told the Palm Beach Post that the visit this past Thursday through Sunday, in which Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping, cost $1.5 million for security.
The total cost of Trump’s Florida excursions is up to $15 million in taxpayer money in three months, according to Public Citizen. The watchdog group says, citing news reports, the average cost of these trips are likely around $3 million. This particular estimate seems to be the highest of the bunch. Another recent estimate of Trump’s visits are as low as about $1 million.
With Trump’s frequent weekend trips to the Mar-a-Lago, which the president has dubbed “the Southern White House,” there has been talk of how the county might get the cost of supporting his visits back. There have been calls for the federal government to repay the county, but in the meantime, county commissioners are reportedly looking at a special tax on the private club as a way to make back the money.
Trump has been subject to a round of criticism for making so many trips to his South Florida resort after he repeatedly criticized former President Barack Obama for running the costs associated with his travels.
