Flouting his own advice, Trump will take extended vacation
WASHINGTON — Donald Trump once questioned the wisdom of taking vacations. “What’s the point?” he asked.
But now the president is getting ready to join the annual August exodus from the city he calls “the swamp.” Trump is due Friday to begin his first extended vacation from Washington since the inauguration: 17 days at his private golf club in central New Jersey.
The vacation could be driven in part by necessity. Everyone who works in the White House West Wing, including the Oval Office occupant himself, must clear out by the end of the week so that the government can replace a balky, 27-year-old heating and cooling system.
White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said Thursday that West Wing staff needs to vacate the premises in August while workers are replacing the building’s HVAC system.