39 times Trump openly promoted his own golf resorts in office

Donald Trump has used social media and public comments to promote his golf courses at least 39 times as president.

This past week, Trump got into ethical hot water yet again when it was reported that he ordered his ambassador to the United Kingdom to pressure the British government to hold the British Open tournament at his Turnberry golf resort in Scotland. Trump has denied that he did so.

But on Wednesday, Trump managed to turn even his denial into an ad for Turnberry, telling reporters, “No, I never spoke to Woody Johnson about that, about Turnberry. Turnberry is a highly respected course, as you know, one of the best in the world.”

In January 2016, Trump promised during a Republican presidential debate that if he won, he would put his business interests aside and focus only on the job. “I built a very great company, but if I become president, I couldn’t care less about my company. It’s peanuts,” he said. “I have Ivanka, and Eric and Don sitting there. Run the company, kids, have a good time. I’m going to do it for America.”

But instead, he has frequently used his office to promote his hotels, golf resorts, and clubs. He has spent hundreds of days at his own golf properties, held official meetings at them, and even tried to move a G-7 conference to one, keeping their names in the news and funneling hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars into his companies for the logistical and security support required for the visits.

Since his inauguration, he has tweeted at least 26 times bragging about his properties or otherwise mentioning their names. He has also made at least 13 references to his properties in speeches and interviews.

• June 26, 2020: Trump tweeted that he had opted not to travel to his New Jersey golf resort in the middle of a pandemic and mass anti-racist protests, saying, “I was going to go to Bedminster, New Jersey, this weekend, but wanted to stay in Washington, D.C. to make sure LAW & ORDER is enforced.”

• June 12, 2020: Trump tweeted that he had “Just finished dinner in Bedminster, New Jersey, with Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) and his wonderful wife, Tammy.”

• Oct. 31, 2019: Trump told radio host and pro-Brexit leader Nigel Farage during an interview, “Remember I was out opening up Turnberry at the time and we had a massive amount of press, more than you would normally have for opening a club, and I said that it was going to pass and everybody laughed and I was right.”

• Oct. 21, 2019: Trump complained about opposition to his aborted scheme to host the G-7 at his Doral golf course, tweeting, “I thought I was doing something very good for our Country by using Trump National Doral, in Miami, for hosting the G-7 Leaders. It is big, grand, on hundreds of acres, next to MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, has tremendous ballrooms & meeting rooms, and each delegation would have its own 50 to 70 unit building.”

• Oct. 10, 2019: Trump retweeted a story about a “political fest,” featuring Donald Trump Jr., at the Doral.

• Sept. 9, 2019: Trump denied knowledge of an Air Force plane stopping over near his Scotland golf resort, tweeting, “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!).”

• Sept. 4, 2019: Trump denied having any involvement in Mike Pence’s 180-mile detour during an official trip to Dublin to stay at Trump’s golf resort in Ireland, saying, “Well, I had no involvement, other than it’s a great place. It’s Doonbeg. I own it. It’s in Ireland. It’s beautiful. It’s wonderful. … I have a lot of hotels all over the place and people use them because they’re the best. I mean, you know, they’re the best.”

• Aug. 27, 2019: Trump disputed reports of infestation at his resort, tweeting, “No bedbugs at Doral. The Radical Left Democrats, upon hearing that the perfectly located (for the next G-7) Doral National MIAMI was under consideration for the next G-7, spread that false and nasty rumor. Not nice!”

• Aug. 26, 2019: Trump remarked at a joint press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron, “I love the UK. I own great property in the UK. I love the UK. I have no idea how my property is doing because I don’t care. But I own Turnberry, and I own in Aberdeen, and I own in Ireland, as you know, Doonbeg, and great stuff.”

• June 30, 2019: Trump told South Korean business leaders, “We had, recently, the U.S. Women’s Open at my course in Bedminster, New Jersey. And I think 9 of the top 10 finishers were from South Korea. Do you know that? Nine of the top ten. I said, ‘What’s going on over here?'”

• July 26, 2019: Trump said in remarks on asylum-seekers that he travels to his New Jersey golf resort so as not to shut down Manhattan with a visit to Trump Tower, explaining, “I go to Bedminster, which is a beautiful place, but it’s never a vacation. It’s working, mostly.

• July 13, 2019: Trump retweeted his company’s ad for three Trump golf courses.

• June 19, 2019: Trump announced via tweet that he was “Just returning from Orlando and Doral (Miami), Florida, and heading to the Oval Office.”

• May 15, 2019: Trump retweeted a Trump Organization video of two professional golfers at his Ferry Point course in New York.

• March 2, 2019: Trump shared his company’s tweet advertising his Scottish golf resort, writing, “Very proud of perhaps the greatest golf course anywhere in the world. Also, furthers U.K. relationship!”

• Feb. 2, 2019: Trump tweeted a photo of himself at his Jupiter, Florida, golf course with golfers Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.

• Aug. 31, 2018: Trump said in a speech on retirement savings, “You know where my club is, right? Trump National. And it’s a very big success on Lake Norman. Beautiful. Largest man-made lake in the world, by far. Right? The electric company. Had to be more than man-made. That was made with a lot of money for a long time.”

• Aug. 30, 2018: Trump told Bloomberg News, “I bought a lot of things when the dollar was very strong and the, you know, Ireland had crashed and Europe was crashing. I bought a lot of great stuff, including the great Turnberry, as you know, right?”

• Aug. 11, 2018: Trump tweeted photos of “Bikers for Trump at Bedminster earlier today.”

• Aug. 11, 2018: Trump bragged in another tweet, “Hundreds of Bikers for Trump just joined me at Bedminster. Quite a scene – great people who truly love our Country!”

• Aug. 9, 2018: Trump held a prison reform roundtable at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf resort and told attendees that it was because the White House was being renovated, claiming, “And I said, well, I guess this would be a good place to be in the meantime. So they’re doing a lot of work at the White House. I miss it. I would like to be there. But this is a good way of doing it.”

• July 14, 2018: Trump announced his stop at his Scottish golf resort, tweeting, “I have arrived in Scotland and will be at Trump Turnberry for two days of meetings, calls and hopefully, some golf – my primary form of exercise! The weather is beautiful, and this place is incredible!”

• July 12, 2018: Trump said at a NATO summit press conference: “I’m going to Scotland while I wait for the meeting. I have Turnberry in Scotland, which is a magical place — one of my favorite places.”

• June 26, 2018: Trump tweeted a photo of golfer Gary Player at his Turnberry resort in Scotland.

• April 8, 2018: After Patrick Reed won the Masters Tournament, Trump tweeted, “Congratulations to Patrick Reed on his great and courageous MASTERS win! When Patrick had his amazing win at Doral 5 years ago, people saw his great talent, and a bright future ahead.”

• Jan. 28, 2018: Trump told interviewer Piers Morgan, “I love the country. I’m in Aberdeen with a tremendous … I also have a great situation over in Ireland in Doonbeg over there. And of course Turnberry … that’s the Mona Lisa, one of the great Mona Lisas of the world in terms of sport and golf, and I own Turnberry.”

• Dec. 29, 2017: Trump hosted a Coast Guard event at his Doral course in Miami. He told attendees, “So enjoy the course. It’s one of the great courses of the world as you know.”

• Nov. 24, 2017: Trump tweeted that he would “be heading over to Trump National Golf Club, Jupiter, to play golf (quickly) with Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson.”

• Nov. 7, 2017: Trump told South Korea’s National Assembly, “The Women’s U.S. Open was held this year at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey, and it just happened to be won by a great Korean golfer, Sung-hyun Park. An eighth of the top 10 players were from Korea.”

• Aug. 18, 2017: Trump tweeted that he had “Just returned to Bedminster, NJ from Camp David.”

• Aug. 16, 2017: Trump tweeted photos of himself signing a bill “Today in Bedminster.”

• Aug. 16, 2017: Trump announced in another tweet that he had “Just landed in Bedminster, New Jersey. #MAGA.”

• Aug. 12, 2017: Trump invited his Twitter followers to join him “live from Bedminster, New Jersey.”

• Aug. 12, 2017: Trump announced in another tweet, “Am in Bedminster for meetings & press conference on V.A. & all that we have done, and are doing, to make it better-but Charlottesville sad!”

• Aug. 5, 2017: Trump tweeted that he was, “Working in Bedminster, N.J., as long planned construction is being done at the White House. This is not a vacation – meetings and calls!”

• July 14, 2017: Trump announced he’d be at the U.S. Women’s Open Championship at his Bedminster property, tweeting, “Big crowds expected & the women are playing great-should be very exciting!”

• May 6, 2017: Trump explained in a tweet, “The reason I am staying in Bedminster, N. J., a beautiful community, is that staying in NYC is much more expensive and disruptive.”

• May 5, 2017: Trump tweeted, “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!”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.