President Donald Trump is using taxpayer money to visit his golf resorts in Scotland. The trip will cost American taxpayers at least $10 million over several days. Trump plans to visit his golf properties in both Aberdeen and Turnberry during this trip.
The visit comes at the same time as the grand opening of a second 18-hole golf course at Trump’s Aberdeen resort. Trump has been personally promoting this new course for years, often celebrating dubious golf victories at his own properties. The trip is separate from a planned state visit to the United Kingdom in September.
This expensive golf vacation will bring Trump’s total golf spending in his second term to at least $52 million. Richard Painter, who worked as the top ethics lawyer in George W. Bush’s White House, said Trump is using the presidency to market his golf courses at taxpayer expense.
Trump’s golf trips cost more than most government programs
A HuffPost analysis shows the five-day Scotland trip will cost a conservative estimate of $9.7 million. This figure is based on 2017 dollars, so the actual cost will likely be much higher today. When adjusted for inflation over eight years, the total reaches $12.8 million.
Foreign presidential trips cost much more than domestic ones. A flight from Washington D.C. to Scotland takes six to seven hours each way. Air Force One costs $273,063 per hour to operate. Just the presidential plane flights will cost $3.8 million for the Scotland trip.
Trump will fly on Air Force One to Scotland for a golf trip. He will spend the weekend at his golf club before attending the opening of a new golf course.
— FactPost (@factpostnews) July 25, 2025
This will cost taxpayers an estimated $10 million. pic.twitter.com/dBzXQXJQxq
The trip also requires a second plane for the larger number of staff who must travel, including people from the State Department and other agencies. Trump spent $152 million in taxpayer money playing golf at his own resorts during his first term as president, despite golf consuming 25% of his presidency while he now restricts federal workers’ time off.
Trump’s White House officials would not respond to questions about whether the president plans to pay back the U.S. Treasury for this business trip. In public statements, Trump and his aides have only talked about a planned meeting with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. The new golf course is named after Trump’s mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, and will open to the public on August 13.
