Mike Pence has chosen to stay at Donald Trump’s golf resort during a visit to Ireland, despite his official duties all taking place on the other side of the country in Dublin.
Critics accused the US vice president of corruption by electing to use public funds to enrich his boss’ private business, rather than use one of the hundreds of hotels in the Irish capital.
Mr Pence, who landed in Ireland on Monday following a trip to Poland, stayed the night at Trump International Golf Club in Doonbeg on the west coast of the country. He was joined by his wife, Karen, along with his sister and mother.
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According to his public daily schedule, Mr Pence will fly on Air Force Two the 117 miles from Shannon airport to Dublin, where he will hold a series of meetings, before flying back and staying a second night at Mr Trump’s resort.
Though it is unclear how much the Trump Organization stands to make from Mr Pence’s stay at Doonbeg, vice-presidential trips abroad involve dozens of officials, and starting prices for suites at the resort begin at €301 (£275) per night.
Ted Lieu, a Democratic congressman for California, tweeted: “You took an oath to the Constitution, not to [Donald Trump]. Funneling taxpayer money to [the president] by staying at this Trump resort is sooooooo corrupt.”
Jesse Lee, a former White House special assistant to president Barack Obama, said: “Those who have driven around Ireland will know that it takes a fair amount of effort to stay in a hotel more than 3 hours away from any given destination.
“Pence is literally staying at Trump’s golf club on the other side of the country from his government business.”
Shape Created with Sketch. Trump protests: President visits Texas and Ohio after mass shootings Show all 31 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Trump protests: President visits Texas and Ohio after mass shootings 1/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Demonstrators chant as they protest the arrival of President Donald Trump outside Miami Valley Hospital after a mass shooting that occurred in the Oregon District AP 2/31 El Paso Trump headed to El Paso, after visiting Dayton, Ohio to offer a message of healing and unity, but he was met by hostility in both places by people who fault his own incendiary words as a contributing cause to the mass shootings AP 3/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre US President Donald Trump greets first responders as he visits El Paso Regional Communications Centre AFP/Getty 4/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre An anti-Trump protestor holds a sign as police are lined up outside University Medical Centre Getty 5/31 El Paso AP 6/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 7/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 8/31 El Paso Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke hugs a woman at a makeshift memorial outside Walmart honoring victims of the mass shooting there which left 22 people dead. Getty 9/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 10/31 El Paso AP 11/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre Reuters 12/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet PFC Glendon Oakley (second right), who saved several lives during the mass shooting in Texas AFP/Getty 13/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 14/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre Reuters/Amanda Voisard 15/31 El Paso Beto ORourke consoles a man at the makeshift memorial outside Walmart Getty 16/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre An anti-Trump demonstrator yells near police outside the University Medical Centre Reuters 17/31 El Paso AFP/Getty Images 18/31 Dayton President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AP 19/31 El Paso Makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting that left a total of 22 people dead at the Cielo Vista Mall Walmart AFP/Getty Images 20/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 21/31 President Trump greets Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley as he arrives at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AFP/Getty 22/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 23/31 Dayton Damon Smith presents a message to President Donald Trump beside a makeshift memorial in Dayton AP 24/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Demonstrators gather in front of an inflatable "Baby Trump" to protest the presidents arrival AP 25/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 26/31 El Paso A photo of victim Javier Amir Rodriguez, a 15-year-old sophomore Getty 27/31 Dayton AFP/Getty 28/31 El Paso A message is left for Donald Trump AFP/Getty 29/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 30/31 El Paso People hug at the makeshift memorial AFP/Getty 31/31 El Paso People pray at the makeshift memorial AFP/Getty 1/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Demonstrators chant as they protest the arrival of President Donald Trump outside Miami Valley Hospital after a mass shooting that occurred in the Oregon District AP 2/31 El Paso Trump headed to El Paso, after visiting Dayton, Ohio to offer a message of healing and unity, but he was met by hostility in both places by people who fault his own incendiary words as a contributing cause to the mass shootings AP 3/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre US President Donald Trump greets first responders as he visits El Paso Regional Communications Centre AFP/Getty 4/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre An anti-Trump protestor holds a sign as police are lined up outside University Medical Centre Getty 5/31 El Paso AP 6/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 7/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 8/31 El Paso Democratic presidential candidate Beto ORourke hugs a woman at a makeshift memorial outside Walmart honoring victims of the mass shooting there which left 22 people dead. Getty 9/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 10/31 El Paso AP 11/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre Reuters 12/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet PFC Glendon Oakley (second right), who saved several lives during the mass shooting in Texas AFP/Getty 13/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 14/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre Reuters/Amanda Voisard 15/31 El Paso Beto ORourke consoles a man at the makeshift memorial outside Walmart Getty 16/31 El Paso, University Medical Centre An anti-Trump demonstrator yells near police outside the University Medical Centre Reuters 17/31 El Paso AFP/Getty Images 18/31 Dayton President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AP 19/31 El Paso Makeshift memorial for victims of the shooting that left a total of 22 people dead at the Cielo Vista Mall Walmart AFP/Getty Images 20/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 21/31 President Trump greets Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley as he arrives at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base AFP/Getty 22/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 23/31 Dayton Damon Smith presents a message to President Donald Trump beside a makeshift memorial in Dayton AP 24/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton Demonstrators gather in front of an inflatable "Baby Trump" to protest the presidents arrival AP 25/31 Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton AP 26/31 El Paso A photo of victim Javier Amir Rodriguez, a 15-year-old sophomore Getty 27/31 Dayton AFP/Getty 28/31 El Paso A message is left for Donald Trump AFP/Getty 29/31 El Paso AFP/Getty 30/31 El Paso People hug at the makeshift memorial AFP/Getty 31/31 El Paso People pray at the makeshift memorial AFP/Getty
On Tuesday, Mr Pence's chief-of-staff said the idea for the vice-president to stay at the resort was Mr Trump's.
"I don't think it was a request, like a command ... I think that it was a suggestion," Marc Short told reporters.
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"It's like when we went through the trip, it's like, well, he's going to Doonbeg because that's where the Pence family is from," Mr Short said before paraphrasing Mr Trump. "It's like, 'Well, you should stay at my place'."
He added Mr Trump was not allowing Mr Pence and his delegation stay there for free, but that he did not have a cost estimate for the trip yet, according to NBC News.
"When you're in Doonbeg tonight and you're with the vice-president on some of the official visits he's also doing, you'll also see there are not a lot of options in that community," he said.
Mr Pence’s arrival at Doonbeg coincided with Mr Trump travelling to another of his resorts in Virginia - his 227th day at a golf club owned by him since he became president in 2017.
Late on Monday evening, the Trump administration caused further anger when it praised Mr Pence for agreeing to a meeting with the Irish Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, who is gay. Mr Pence has repeatedly supported policies hostile to the LGBT+ community.
“For all of you who still think our [vice-president] is anti-gay, I point you to his and the Second Lady’s schedule tomorrow where they will join Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his partner Dr Matthew Barrett for lunch in Ireland,” White House deputy press secretary Judd Deere tweeted.
Mr Pence is set to discuss Brexit with both Mr Varadkar and British prime minister Boris Johnson, who the vice-president will meet on Thursday when he flies to London.
"We will continue to work closely with our partners in Ireland and the United Kingdom to support a Brexit plan that encourages stability and also one that keeps the strong foundation forged by the Good Friday Agreement," Mr Pence told reporters after arriving in Ireland.
"We understand these are complex issues."
GrimMyth on September 3rd, 2019 at 11:29 UTC »
Isn’t there pretty concrete laws the US has about presidents profiting from their own businesses while president? How is this not cut and dry illegal if so?
viva_la_vinyl on September 3rd, 2019 at 10:21 UTC »
The cost of kissing Donald Trump's ass has skyrocketed since he became president.
AlternativeSuccotash on September 3rd, 2019 at 10:03 UTC »
The Republicans' corruption is utterly brazen because they know they'll never be punished for their crimes against America. The prospect of being voted out of office doesn't deter them, it only gives them the incentive to increase the volume and tempo of their criminal activities. That's the name of the game in the Trump Era: grab all the golden eggs you are able and decamp with your swag before the goose explodes - then brag about how much you stole.