President Donald Trump says he is too busy to attend his eldest son’s wedding—but the demands of the presidency have not kept him off the golf course.
Despite hitting the links at least 14 times since going to war with Iran, according to online trackers and a Daily Beast analysis, Trump said his son’s Memorial Day weekend wedding was “not good timing” for him and that he needs to be in Washington.
That claim did not align with the president’s initial public schedule for the weekend, which said he planned to travel to his golf resort in Bedminster, New Jersey. However, Axios reported later on Friday that Trump will now stay in Washington after scrambling to fix the schedule.
Staying in Washington is inconsistent with how Trump has spent many of his weekends this spring, during which he has frequently jetted out of town despite the war.
That includes the weekends beginning March 7, March 13, March 21, March 28, April 24, and May 2. He was in China for a state visit in mid-May, but he headed for his Virginia golf club upon returning to Washington. He even skipped a “Rededicate 250” faith event on the National Mall that same weekend for a day at the golf club—though he appeared at the event virtually.
In total, Trump has golfed on at least 111 days, or 22.7 percent, of his second stint in office, according to an analysis by the Donald Trump Golf Tracker, which was confirmed by the Beast.
While Trump has time to spend hours on the links, a wedding is just too much.
“He’d like me to go, but it’s going to be just a small little private affair, and I’m going to try and make it, I’m in the midst—,” Trump said of Don Jr.’s wedding. “I said, ‘You know, this is not good timing for me. I have a thing called Iran and other things.’”
He continued, “That’s one I can’t win on. If I do attend, I get killed. If I don’t attend, I get killed—by the fake news, of course, I’m talking about. But he’s uh, [with] a person I’ve known for a long time and hopefully they’re gonna have a great marriage.”
The president confirmed in a Truth Social post on Friday afternoon that he would not be attending.
“While I very much wanted to be with my son, Don Jr., and the newest member of the Trump Family, his soon to be wife, Bettina, circumstances pertaining to Government, and my love for the United States of America, do not allow me to do so,” he claimed. “I feel it is important for me to remain in Washington, D.C., at the White House during this important period of time.”
Trump has found time to hit the links this spring—both to play, as he first did on March 8, just eight days after engulfing the United States in an unpopular war with Iran, and to attend tournaments at his courses in Miami and Virginia as a spectator, as he did on May 3 and May 9.
The president has hit the links so much, and with so much security, a HuffPost investigation published on March 28 found that taxpayers have spent more than $100 million to fund Trump’s favorite hobby. Since then, Trump has golfed an additional nine times, including at his courses in Palm Beach and Doral, Florida, and Sterling, Virginia.
The White House did not return a request for comment about Trump’s golfing.
Donald Trump Jr. and Bettina Anderson, who began dating after Don Jr. dumped Kimberly Guilfoyle in late 2024, will tie the knot on a private island in the Bahamas on Saturday in front of fewer than 50 guests.
CNN reports that all of Don Jr.’s siblings—Ivanka, Eric, Tiffany, and Barron—will attend. It is unclear whether first lady Melania Trump will make the trip.
While reports have described the wedding venue as a small Bahamian island, none pinpoint exactly where the younger Trump, 48, and Anderson, 39, will say “I do.” Some Bahamian islands, including Bimini, are less than 100 miles from Mar-a-Lago, where Trump spent time as recently as the first weekend of May.
On May 1, he spoke to seniors in The Villages, Florida, and then delivered remarks at the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches that same night. He remained in South Florida the remainder of the weekend, and attended the PGA Cadillac Championship at his Doral golf club on May 3.
In an earlier trip, Trump attended a UFC fight in Miami on April 11—at the same time Vice President JD Vance was in Islamabad, Pakistan, leading peace talks with Iran that ultimately crumbled.
Trump even flew south on April 25 to celebrate with winners of his second annual $TRUMP meme coin contest at Mar-a-Lago, where the top 297 token holders attended a conference and gala luncheon.
The top 29 $TRUMP coin holders even received a VIP champagne toast with the president, something his own son will not get to experience on his second wedding day.
The thrice-married Trump was present for his eldest’s first marriage in 2005, when he tied the knot with Vanessa Kay Haydon at Mar-a-Lago. That ceremony was attended by around 370 guests, mere months after Trump and Melania got hitched and held their reception at the same venue.
Don Jr. and Vanessa were married for over a decade and share five children: Kai Trump, 19; Donald J. Trump III (Donny), 17; Tristan Trump, 14; Spencer Trump, 13; and Chloe Sophia Trump, 11.
While Don Jr.’s official ceremony is in the Bahamas, The Daily Mail revealed Friday that he and Bettina have already legally tied the knot in Florida this week.
A marriage certificate obtained by the Daily Beast shows that the two were officially wedded at the West Palm Beach home of Anderson’s sister, Kristina McPherson, on Thursday. The Trump family has not publicly acknowledged the ceremony.
