Trump Hides Out Amid Crisis to Rage Over Golf Course
The president has not been seen in public nor made any public remarks on the ground stop since the crisis began.
Evan Vucci/REUTERS
President Donald Trump has thrown a fit on Truth Social over his golf course vanity project as he remains holed up amid the fallout from a nationwide air traffic fiasco.
The 80-year-old president has not been seen publicly since the FAA abruptly grounded every flight in the country Friday afternoon, citing “extraordinary circumstances” and “reasons of safety.”
Although the ground stop was lifted more than four hours after it began Friday evening, travelers across the U.S. remain stranded as delays and cancellations spilled into Saturday.
Yet Trump has neither appeared in public nor made any public remarks about the nationwide crisis, which Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has since traced back to botched work on an “upgrade” to telecom systems at a remote location.
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Even on Truth Social, where he routinely offers running commentary on the latest developments, Trump has said nothing about the flight crisis.
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In fact, the president has not made a public appearance since Wednesday. A video interview with sports commentator Stephen A. Smith on Thursday provided the latest sighting of the president, though it was conducted privately within the White House.
Over 5,200 flights were canceled on Saturday, after 9,200 cancellations on Friday.
Paola Chiomante/REUTERS
The White House did not immediately respond to the Daily Beast’s questions about the president’s whereabouts and why he has not publicly commented on the ground stop.
Trump has, however, flooded Truth Social with long screeds about other matters, including a 319-word rant about his stalled plans to raze D.C.’s East Potomac Park and turn it into a championship-level golf course.
Calling the park “Trash Island,” the president raged over District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee, who has launched an investigation into whether the government’s lawyers lied about the administration’s plans for the park.

Trump has posted about everything but the ground stop on Truth Social during the nationwide crisis, including a screed about tax breaks to revitalize Hollywood just two hours after flights were grounded.
Donald Trump/Truth Social
“Unfortunately, Judge Ana Reyes doesn’t want us to quickly and inexpensively fix up the Course which is, also, very dangerous — The Fairways are far too close together,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“When you walk down the corridors of Trash Island, you don’t hear the sound of the running Potomac, all you hear is the sound of people screaming, ‘FORE!’ In any event, we’re making progress, and hopefully the Judge will agree that the Dignity, Beauty, and Importance of Washington, D.C., will be greatly enhanced by this soon to be beautiful Project,” he continued. “Trash Island, after years of laughter and scorn, will evolve into something very special, something which the Judge will be able to take great pride in seeing!”
Reyes has been weighing a request to block the administration’s planned closure of the public course and is expected to hand down her decision on Saturday.
Trump then turned to a lengthy celebration of his own accomplishments in Washington, highlighting renovations to “Fountains, Monuments, and Statues throughout our beautiful Capital.”
“Everyone is proud and grateful again!” he claimed.
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