Trump Skips the White House for an Extended Florida Escape — and One Golf Club Video Sparks Brutal Questions About His Pals
Donald Trump hasn’t been back at the White House for nearly three weeks, spending the heart of the holiday season in Florida, where work and leisure seem to blend together with ease.
While aides insist the president has remained “engaged,” hosting a pair of international policy meetings during his extended stay, a video of Trump getting applause from his buddies for doing nothing has fans shaking their heads.
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Instead of briefings and bill signings, Trump’s recent days have largely been defined by private Mar-a-Lago dinners and frequent trips to the golf course — an elongated winter escape that has stretched quietly as the calendar edged toward 2026.
That contrast became sharper after a short Dec. 19 video clip from inside one of Trump’s golf clubs began circulating online.
The footage shows Trump schmoozing with a group of men who appear to be his age as he stood near their dining table. At one point the men stood up to applauded Trump. But it was the video’s caption that followed drew attention to the fact that Trump hasn’t been at work in weeks and he recently extended his stay likely to play more golf.
Once the clip hit Threads, the reaction turned ruthless.
“That room smells of depends and icy hot,” one person wrote.
A third social media user piled on, saying “Just look at that full diaper” and adding that Trump and his friends look like an “old farts club rich old decrebid white guys.” Some even believe “They really don’t want him there anyway.”
One commenter zeroed in on Trump’s outfit, joking, “His pants are still pulled up like Steve Urkel’s. Lol.”
Others focused on his appearance, with one post reading, “He is just so bad built!! Hair just sitting there not moving.”
Trump’s apparrent weight loss also did not get past fans who said, “Is it me or has he lost a load of weight suddenly? Like a seriouly unhealthy amount of weight?” Another agreed, “He’s losing weight. In the way a pet does in the declining time.”
The sarcasm peaked with a final jab: “Get back to work. Everyone else is back at work.”
Since returning to office in January, Trump has visited golf clubs 88 times — just one more day of golf than his under his first term.
The gibe could contain a grain of truth if Trump’s fitness could be measured by his commitment to his favorite form of exercise — golf.
🚨BREAKING: Trump is alive and well!
📸 Caught on camera: Donald Trump with his granddaughter Kai, stepping into the motorcade on the South Lawn of the White House, August 30, 2025, headed to Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia.
(Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds /… pic.twitter.com/0i71zeiNiu
— WAR (@warsurveillance) August 30, 2025
This latest video clip appears to show the president fresh off the course in the Grill Room of Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach, which is located just minutes away from his Mar-a-Lago residence and a favorite destination among his many golf outings since retaking office.
Websites such as Trump Golf Tracker have tallied at least 88 days Trump visited golf clubs since he retook office. August alone accounted for ten visits, while March and November each included nine days spent at golf properties. December added nine more trips, many centered around his club in West Palm Beach.
Those visits come with a steep cost. Estimates based on prior government analyses put the price tag of Trump’s golf travel at more than $110 million so far in 2025, a figure that does not fully include December, The Daily Beast reported this week.
Each trip requires motorcades, security details, air travel, and staffing — expenses covered by taxpayers, even as every destination is a Trump-owned property.
Supporters argue the outings are not purely recreational but a fast track to big bucks for his family. In recent months, golf has increasingly taken on a family-friendly sheen, with Trump’s granddaughter joining him on the course. Photos and videos of the two together have reframed the sport as a multigenerational bonding activity, turning what critics see as indulgence into something closer to tradition.
President Trump expressed his gratitude to the US Secret Service while enjoying a round of golf with his granddaughter, Kai.
🇺🇸 🦅 🥰🏌♂️ pic.twitter.com/uuTxbih67b— Girl patriot 🙏 🇺🇸 🦅 (@Girlpatriot1974) October 12, 2025
Still, critics note the optics remain hard to ignore. Trump has not been to the White House in more than 11 consecutive days, press access to his activities remains limited, and reporters are barred from observing who he meets or what business is conducted during his near-daily club visits. The extended stay also comes as Trump has previously criticized other presidents for vacationing too often or working remotely.
The White House has dismissed the criticism outright.
“President Trump is working 24/7 to Make America Great Again and make the world a safer place,” spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement, to The Daily Beast, insisting no one works harder.
Golf-loving presidents are nothing new, but the scale, frequency, and cost of Trump’s time on the green have made it harder to separate relaxation from routine.
As applause echoes through clubhouses and carts roll across manicured fairways, the bigger question lingers: how long can an extended working vacation last before it simply looks like one?