Trump stays at NJ golf course to ‘save country money’, not disrupt NYC

President Donald Trump’s first official visit to the New York metro area will end with a long weekend stay at his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He says it will save money, but this golf outing is reportedly his 23rd in 14 weeks.

“Rather than causing a big disruption in N.Y.C., I will be working out of my home in Bedminster, N.J. this weekend. Also saves country money!” Trump tweeted Friday.

Trump stayed in Bedminster Thursday night after traveling to New York City to meet Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Manhattan and speak aboard the decommissioned USS Intrepid to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea, the first air-sea battle in history. Trump is expected to stay at his golf resort through the weekend.

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Aside from avoiding a government shutdown before midnight Friday, Trump has little on his plate officially for the weekend. CBS News reports this is his 23rd golf trip since taking office.

The White House defended the outing Friday, emphasizing it was Trump’s first time back in the New York metro area and that providing security at his Trump Tower in Manhattan “would have caused a much greater disruption” and cost to taxpayers.

There is no data available to confirm that claim.

Bedminster, with approximately 8,000 residents, is served by a police force of 16 officers, which plans to spend at least $12,000 extra each day Trump is in town, according to the Washington Post.

Other costs will fall on the New Jersey State Police and US Secret Service.

To protect the president at Trump Tower in Manhattan would cost around $308,000 daily, the Post reported. That would include the money already being spent each day to guard Melania and Barron Trump, reportedly estimated between $127,000 and $145,000.

The cost of getting Trump from New York to Bedminster, using two motorcades and a Marine One helicopter ride, is unknown.

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The small town remained quiet, but a protest is anticipated Saturday, the North Jersey Media Group reported. A “People’s Motorcade” is set to honk their horns along a road passing the main gate of Trump’s golf course.