To get it out of the way right up front, yes, all presidents cost the taxpayers money: travel, security, housing, vacations … it all adds up, especially for a two-term president like Barack Obama.
.@JudicialWatch: New Obama Travel Costs Bring Eight-Year Total over $96 Million https://t.co/RkiKGkDX95
— Tom Fitton (@TomFitton) December 29, 2016
But some of the Obamas’ travel expenses, as obtained by Judicial Watch through two separate Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits for Secret Service costs, seem outright silly.
As Twitchy reported, there was the time that TV host Bill Nye hitched a ride on Air Force One with President Obama to deliver an Earth Day address in the Florida Everglades: total cost, more than $1 million. Then there were the trips to Cuba and Argentina in 2016, adding more than $7 million to the running total, but at least the American public got video of the president and Raul Castro doing the wave at a ball game to show for it. And don’t forget those date nights in New York City.
Vacations? Remember how we all enjoyed watching the first lady and her daughters take some time off to tour Morocco, Spain, and Liberia? And how about those times presidential candidate Hillary Clinton hopped on board Air Force One for a lift, seeing as she and the president were hitting the same campaign stops?
I think he owes tax payers a huge refund.
— Na-Na (@sonyalynn13) December 29, 2016
Obama spends more on vacations in 1 year than ALL THE ROYAL FAMILIES IN EUROPE COMBINED.
— BIDEN~KERRY~BURISMA~ROSEMONT SENACA~??TrumpChick (@Wonder_Chick_) December 29, 2016
It’s only right, then, that America’s royal family should settle for nothing less than the very best.
Jan 20th can't get here fast enough
— MagaVoice 2 ?????? (@Truthandfrdm) December 29, 2016
— Joyce Williams Luffm (@joyce_luffm) December 29, 2016
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Related:
Wow, President Obama is going to genuinely miss all of us … paying for him to fly around in Air Force One https://t.co/Digp8oxxay
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) September 23, 2016
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