While the nation grappled with an air travel nightmare following the longest ground stop since 9/11, Donald Trump—true to form—retreated to the comfort of his golf club.
Less than 48 hours after the crippling nationwide disruption, the 80-year-old president left the White House Sunday morning for his Virginia golf resort, even as airlines struggled to recover from the chaos.
Grant Schwab of The Detroit News covered Trump’s press pool Sunday and reported on X at 9:52 a.m.: “The pool is preparing to head from the White House to President Trump’s golf course in Sterling, Virginia. We’ll be departing shortly.”
While his administration is picking up the pieces of the ground stop, Trump dragged his retinue for a sporty day out.
At 10:16 a.m., Schwab wrote: “Pool is rolling in vans to President Trump’s Virginia golf course. Departed 10:14 a.m.POTUS spotted in a vehicle as his motorcade drove by the pool.”
Schwab added: “Weather conditions are clear.”
The journalist reported roughly half an hour later that the motorcade had “arrived at the golf club at 10:45 a.m.”
The press pool was then left waiting inside the club’s indoor tennis courts as “POTUS’ motorcade peeled off from pool as we entered.”
The president’s Sunday morning trip to Trump National Golf Club Washington, D.C. offered a contrast to the busy day he described on Truth Social.
Just a couple of hours before leaving, he boasted: “I am in the White House having meetings on many subjects.
“Very exciting times for the USA. Great things are happening – We are the “hottest” Country anywhere in the World!”
The president presented a different vision of his day in a public post shared shortly before he left the office.
Truth Social/@realDonaldTrump
Trump’s golf club outing came after he remained publicly silent about Friday’s ground stop until a flurry of social media posts Sunday morning.
Asked about Trump’s silence by Dana Bash on CNN, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy insisted the president had been involved behind the scenes: “I can tell you this. I was in constant contact. He was fully engaged, because this is important to him and it’s important to America.”
He added: “So, no, the president is fully supportive, fully engaged, and was fully tracking what’s happening.”
Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin were left to field questions about the crisis Sunday. Duffy insisted Trump was prioritizing travelers’ safety, saying: “Because the safety of the traveling public is number one for him, like it is for me.”
But while Americans remained stranded and questions swirled about what caused the nationwide disruption, Trump appeared preoccupied with other matters.
Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin have given multiple interviews apiece today, with Duffy justifying Trump’s absence from the nationwide crisis.
Namely, golf and show business. Rather than publicly addressing the travel chaos, Trump spent part of his weekend raging on Truth Social about the state of Hollywood and his scuppered plans to close down the East Potomac Golf Links for extensive renovations.
The White House did not immediately return the Daily Beast’s request for comment.
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