Golf buggies a handicap for Secret Service drivers United States
One reason for the estimated US$80 million (NZ$117M) of public money spent on golf trips by President Donald Trump was revealed yesterday: the Secret Service’s need for super-powered buggies.
At 22kmh, the basic model of golf-course vehicle is too slow for security agents’ needs, so more than US$300,000 has been spent on deluxe carts that can reach at least 30kmh, according to details that emerged yesterday.
The White House is reluctant to confirm how long Trump has spent on the links during his presidency, but a watchdog website has totted up at least 149 rounds.
More than a quarter of his visits are during the week.
The Secret Service has reserved 84 carts for trips planned in the next six months to courses owned by Trump’s property-development company. It declined to comment on whether his clubs profit from the contract.
‘‘For operational security reasons, the Secret Service cannot discuss ... the means, methods, resources, costs or numbers we utilise to carry out our protective responsibilities,’’ a spokeswoman told the news website Quartz.
The golfing activity comes despite Trump having attacked former president Barack Obama during the election campaign for his fondness for a round of golf.
Trump made 81 trips to golf courses in his first year as president, three times as many as Obama. Trump told supporters in August 2016: ‘‘If I win ... I’m going to be working for you, I’m not going to have time to go golfing, believe me.’’