Trump defends golf outings: It’s my ‘exercise’

President Trump defended his golfing in a Sunday morning tweet, calling the activity his “exercise.”

The president argued that he knows “many in business and politics that work out endlessly” and said “nobody complains.”

“My ‘exercise’ is playing, almost never during the week, a quick round of golf,” the president said. “Obama played more and much longer rounds, no problem.”

“When I play, Fake News CNN, and others, park themselves anywhere they can to get a picture, then scream ‘President Trump is playing golf,’” he added. “Actually, I play VERY fast, get a lot of work done on the golf course, and also get a ‘tiny’ bit of exercise. Not bad!”

I know many in business and politics that work out endlessly, in some cases to a point of exhaustion. It is their number one passion in life, but nobody complains. My “exercise” is playing, almost never during the week, a quick round of golf. Obama played more and much longer….

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 12, 2020

His tweet comes a day after Golf News Net reported that his Saturday visit to Trump National Golf Club in Northern Virginia was the 275th time he visited a golf club as president and the 273rd time he traveled to one of his golf clubs as president.

Trump played golf in Virginia after postponing his scheduled rally in New Hampshire, citing storms expected in the area from Tropical Storm Fay.

Trump criticized former President Obama for playing golf during his time in office, vowing during a December 2015 campaign rally to operate differently. Trump had said he might not see his properties if he was elected, explaining, “Because I’m going to be working for you, I’m not going to have time to go play golf,” CNN noted. 

Obama played 333 rounds of golf during his two-term presidency, according to Golf News Net. 

CNN, citing veteran CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller, noted in late May that Trump had spent all or part of 248 days at a golf course while president. Obama, by comparison, had played 98 rounds of golf through the same point in his presidency.

Trump on Sunday returned to his golf resort in Sterling, Va., his 86th visit to the club while president, according to a reporter traveling with him.

Last month, Trump reportedly could not be reached at his Virginia golf club by White House officials after he tweeted a video that included a protester yelling “white power.” Officials told NBC News the video remained on his feed for more than three hours because of the delay. 

The tweet, in which the president thanked “the great people of The Villages” for supporting him, was deleted. 

–This report was updated at 1:38 p.m.