President Trump shared a video of himself golfing on his social platform, Truth Social, Sunday. While it wasn’t immediately confirmed whether the footage was from that day, Trump, known for his passion for golf, frequently spends his downtime on the course.
The White House informed the press on Saturday that Trump had won “his second round matchup of the Senior Club Championship today in Jupiter, FL, and advances to the Championship Round tomorrow.”
His time on the golf course comes amid growing criticism over his recent decisions — particularly the rollout of sweeping tariffs that sent markets into a tailspin. On Wednesday, Trump announced substantial tariffs affecting nearly every major trading partner. By the end of the week, the fallout was clear: the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted nearly 4,000 points over two days, raising fears of inflation and economic instability.
While Trump was on the course, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stood in for the president at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, where a dignified transfer was held for four American soldiers who died during a training mission in Lithuania. The president had left Washington for Florida on Thursday and attended a LIV Golf event at his Doral club later that day.
Democrats have been quick to seize on Trump’s golf outings amid the economic turbulence and rising household costs. “While the American people are trying to put food on the table, I see that Donald Trump’s out there playing golf,” said Sen. Ben Ray Luján of New Mexico. “The president should be listening to people across the country. Maybe he should go into a grocery store, do some walking, talking to folks.”
Criticism over presidential golf is hardly new. Trump himself repeatedly criticized President Obama for hitting the links during his presidency. Former President George W. Bush also faced scrutiny for golfing during his time in office. Now, Trump is drawing fire for the same.
However, those familiar with Trump’s style suggest the backlash is unlikely to change his behavior. “I think long ago he stopped caring about certain optics and he’s made very clear in this presidency he’s going to do what he wants,” said New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman in a recent conversation with CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
With tariffs shaking the economy and international tensions growing, critics say Trump’s leisure time sends the wrong message. But for Trump, staying on message has never meant staying off the golf course.