Trump Club Reportedly Bills Secret Service Hot Dogs
Trump Club Reportedly Bills Secret Service Hot Dogs
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Key Points
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The hot dogs are reportedly served at the snack shack beside the 11th tee at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington, D.C., and the entourage can include roughly 30 Secret Service golf carts.
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Some Secret Service agents reportedly arrange with the chef for slimmer hot dogs, which Forbes characterized as a covert act of resistance to the president’s preferred fare.
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Former employees described Trump’s personal preferences for the food: he reportedly uses an unusually large amount of mustard and relish, with one employee calling his mustard application “very artistic.”
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The White House denied a separate former employee’s claim that Trump frequently needed to change shirts after eating the hot dogs; the response was quoted as “Not true.”
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Trump-owned properties charge widely varying prices for hot dogs, including $45 for a Wagyu beef “Trump Dog” at Trump National Doral Miami, $25 at Mar-a-Lago and $10 at Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia.
President Trump reportedly orders hot dogs for Secret Service agents at his Washington-area golf club, while the Trump-owned business bills the federal agency for the food. Ethics rules prevent agents from accepting gifts from people they protect, so the arrangement turns taxpayer money into payments to Trump's business, according to Forbes. A former club employee told the outlet that staff sometimes prepared as many as 50 hot dogs and created a dedicated Secret Service account to track the charges.
The hot dogs are served at a snack shack beside the 11th tee at Trump National Golf Club near Washington, D.C., during visits where Trump's entourage can include roughly 30 Secret Service golf carts. The White House denied at least one claim about Trump's dining habits, though reports rely primarily on accounts from former employees and do not disclose the total amount billed to the agency.
The Snack Shack Setup and Agent Resistance
The hot dog arrangement operates from a snack bar next to the 11th hole at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington. According to Forbes, some Secret Service agents have reportedly arranged with the chef to prepare slimmer hot dogs—a move the outlet characterized as covert resistance to Trump's preferred fare. The setup generates substantial orders, with former staff recalling days when kitchen staff prepared roughly 50 hot dogs for a single outing.
Former employees described Trump's distinctive eating style. One staffer told Forbes that Trump applies mustard and relish with what they called "very artistic" precision, using unusually large amounts of both condiments. The White House disputed a separate claim that Trump frequently needed to change shirts after eating hot dogs, calling the allegation "Not true" in a statement.
Price Variations Across Trump Properties
Hot dog prices vary dramatically across Trump's golf and resort properties, raising questions about pricing strategy and cost recovery. At Trump National Doral Miami, a Wagyu beef "Trump Dog" sells for $45. Mar-a-Lago charges $25 for a hot dog, while Trump National Golf Club Philadelphia offers them at $10. The price differences suggest varying markups and business models across his portfolio.
Ethics Questions and Taxpayer Implications
The arrangement raises ethics concerns because federal rules prohibit Secret Service agents from accepting gifts from the people they protect. To work around this restriction, the Trump club created a separate "Secret Service account" to bill the agency directly. This structure means taxpayers ultimately fund payments to Trump's private business for food consumed by agents protecting the president during his golf outings.
The reports do not disclose how much the Secret Service has paid for hot dogs and related food items at Trump properties. Former employees provided the accounts to Forbes, which published the investigation. The White House has challenged some claims in the reporting, though the core arrangement—billing the federal agency for food at Trump-owned venues—appears confirmed.
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