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Statecraft and controversy: 20 percent of Trump’s first 100 days spent in Florida

Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is pictured here on the campaign trail in Dallas, Texas in 2015. Trump spent more than 20 percent of his time in his first 100 days at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, and his nearby golf club.
Then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is pictured here on the campaign trail in Dallas, Texas in 2015. Trump spent more than 20 percent of his time in his first 100 days at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, and his nearby golf club.
By George Bennett, Palm Beach Post
April 27, 2017

President Donald Trump has put a distinctive Florida stamp on his first 100 days in office by making seven trips to his Mar-a-Lago estate, mixing golf, statecraft and controversy.

Trump has spent more time on presidential getaways than Barack Obama did in his first 100 days but not as much time away from the Washington as George W. Bush did at the beginning of his presidency. Much of the time Bush and Obama spent away from the White House in their first 100 days was at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland that's a short helicopter ride from Washington. Trump has yet to visit Camp David.

Presidents routinely take breaks from Washington, but University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato says Trump's early treks to Florida are different.

"Here's what's unusual about it — it's that he's had such a concentrated period of travel in total during the first 100 days. Most presidents stick very close to the White House during that time. If they go anywhere, they go to Camp David," said Sabato.

Trump as president has logged 419¼ hours — about 17½ days — in Palm Beach County, primarily at Mar-a-Lago and his nearby Trump International Golf Club in unincorporated West Palm Beach, according to a new Palm Beach Post analysis.

But how does that time compare to past presidents?

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George Bennett, Palm Beach Post

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