How Donald Trump's love for golf course hot dogs is costing American taxpayers

Rory Robinson Tue, September 8, 2026 at 1:47 AM UTC

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Donald Trump's hot dog obsession is costing taxpayers (Image: Getty)

President Donald Trump loves a golf course hot dog as much as any other American, but taxpayers seemingly end up picking up the tab when he hits the links.

The president's habit of feeding the Secret Service at his private golf club creates an unusual taxpayer loop. Trump's business serves the food, the agency pays, and public money ultimately returns to a Trump-owned property.

Trump has spent much of his second presidency on his golf courses, while the taxpayer cost of transporting and protecting him during those trips has been estimated by third-party online trackers at hundreds of millions.

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Forbes reported that Trump is especially fond of the hot dogs served beside the 11th tee at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington.

Former employees said staff prepared as many as 50 hot dogs for an outing, including food for dozens of Secret Service agents. The Trump-owned club would charge the cost of the food to a Secret Service account, as agents cannot accept gifts from those they protect.

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Trump's courses sell hot dogs raging from standard to wagyu premium (Image: Getty)

Menus show a $45 Trump Dog at Trump National Doral Miami, a footlong Wagyu beef frank topped with ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, potato sticks, and Cotija cheese. Trump famously said he would sneak a hot dog

Mar-a-Lago lists a hot dog at $25, while Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia offers a more traditional version for $10. Other Trump-property menus include an $18 Palm Grill All-American Hot Dog and a $24 Esquites Dog topped with salsa verde, chorizo, roasted corn esquites, and avocado.

The president's glizzy fixation is tiny compared to the reported costs of his presidential golf travel. FIFA President Gianni Infantino joked about handing out hot dogs and Cokes after Trump criticized the 2026 World Cup's high ticket prices.

Donald Trump appears at LIV Golf New York (Image: Getty)

A 2019 Government Accountability Office review found that four Mar-a-Lago trips during Trump's first term cost federal agencies about $13.6 million in travel and protection-related expenses.

One second-term tracker cited in the figures has Trump golfing 132 days out of 597 days in office, or 22.1 percent of the presidency. Trump's estimated taxpayer cost for his pastime is roughly $184.8 million.

Golf has been a hot topic during Trump's second term, from what he eats on the course to how he keeps score, the legitimacy of his self-proclaimed club championships and whether his caddies help him perform better during tournaments.

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Source: “AOL Breaking”