As Americans Bear Costs Of The Iran War And Dhs Shutdown, Politicians Leave Town

WASHINGTON — George W. Bush gave up play while he was president during nan Iraq War.

President Donald Trump isn’t astir to do nan aforesaid amid nan Iran war, describing his occasional play outings arsenic a little reprieve from nan pressures of being commandant successful chief.

“It’s a shape of relaxation,” he told NBC News successful a telephone question and reply Tuesday. “It’s a small exercise, and it takes your mind disconnected things for a mates of hours.”

A period into nan war, nan United States has “decimated” Iran’s subject and brought to nan fore a activity that is “much much reasonable” and little “radicalized” than its predecessor, nan president added.

“We’re doing great,” Trump said. “And it’s coming to an end.”

At nan aforesaid time, Americans are being impacted successful each sorts of ways. The ongoing shutdown of nan Department of Homeland Security has near aerial travelers opinionated successful agelong lines astatine airports, while motorists are paying higher prices astatine nan pump. Thirteen U.S. work members person been killed, and 2 much died of noncombat causes, successful nan Iran war.

Yet, location is small evident disruption successful nan lives of nan policymakers whose action — aliases inaction successful immoderate cases — has created stresses for Americans surviving pinch nan consequences of Washington’s decisions.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who urged Trump to motorboat nan warfare pinch Iran, on pinch his colleagues connected Capitol Hill near Washington, D.C., past week. Left undone was figuring retired backing for nan partially shuttered DHS that near TSA workers without paychecks and produced nan agelong lines astatine airdrome information checkpoints. Graham has been pummeled by critics connected nan near and nan correct complete pictures of him hanging retired astatine Mickey Mouse’s house.

“How was Disney World?” Sean Davis, CEO of nan blimpish outlet The Federalist, posted successful response to a Graham tweet. “Did you person a nosy clip connected picnic by yourself aft leaving municipality while Americans were stranded astatine airports?”

Graham’s travel is “the astir visible part” of a disconnect that has quickly go a taste touchstone — nan Hollywood-focused website TMZ posted nan snapshots of him — according to Elijah Haahr, a erstwhile Republican speaker of nan Missouri House who now useful arsenic a talk-radio host.

“Congress has ever been playing by a different group of rules,” Haahr said. “The much group deliberation astir that, nan angrier they get. It makes everybody dislike nan full Washington circuit.”

Graham said successful a connection that he met pinch Trump’s typical envoy to nan Middle East, Steve Witkoff, connected Friday successful South Florida and past joined friends successful Orlando. On Monday, he posted an image of himself shooting clay targets successful South Carolina.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., shoots clay targets successful Edgefield County, S.C., connected Monday.Sen. Lindsey Graham via X

He has plentifulness of institution successful enjoying leisurely pursuits arsenic portion of nan authorities remains unfunded. Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., was photographed relaxing astatine a Las Vegas casino complete nan play aft members of Congress grounded to travel to an statement to money lapsed DHS programs.

Senate leaders came up pinch a bipartisan hole — which would widen backing for everything but Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection — and unanimously passed it past week.But House Republicans balked. They didn’t want to clasp backmost backing for ICE and CBP, and they instead passed a measure that would unfastened each of nan closed agencies for 2 months. Then, pinch nan matter unresolved and Transportation Security Administration agents still not getting paid, lawmakers near town.

Now, nan Republican-led House and Senate are astatine likelihood connected an rumor successful which nan GOP thought it had an precocious hand. The House hard-line Freedom Caucus weighed successful heavily against nan Senate’s approach.

“Anytime you perceive to a Freedom Caucus strategy, 1 of 2 things happen: you extremity up successful either a cul-de-sac aliases nan minority,” erstwhile House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., said. “To return ownership of nan shutdown is nan dumbest point connected nan planet.”

With Congress gone and Republicans fighting each other, Trump issued a memo instructing management officials to salary TSA workers. They went much than 40 days without a paycheck, pinch galore saying they had to move to family, friends and nutrient banks to get by. Democrats contend that proves nan president could person ended nan situation astatine immoderate time by issuing nan aforesaid directive earlier, and alternatively preferred to support Americans opinionated successful statement erstwhile that seemed politically advantageous to nan GOP.

A elder White House charismatic countered that contention, asserting that nan management had to spell done a “lengthy reappraisal process” that “identified a pathway” to salary TSA workers.

Yet, Trump has appeared to beryllium disengaged for astir of nan DHS backing standoff truthful acold — and erstwhile he did get involved, he gave confusing aliases mixed signals.

Senate Republicans said they believed he supported nan DHS backing measure that passed unanimously early Friday. But hours later, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., said that he said pinch Trump and that nan president agreed pinch his determination to junk nan Senate measure and prosecute a different path.

“I sewage a telephone soon earlier 2:00 americium and was told that a woody had materialized that would guarantee everyone astatine DHS would get paid—a perchance fleeting woody that required contiguous action. Under nan circumstances, I had each logic to judge President Trump and House Republicans were connected board,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, told a personification connected X who asked why he didn’t effort to artifact nan Senate bill.

The result: An statement is moreover much elusive now, pinch GOP leaders fixed logic to interest that if they onslaught a woody pinch Democrats, nan president will propulsion nan rug retired from nether them.

Trump’s regular has been altered by nan war, if not nan DHS shutdown. Earlier this month, he attended honorable transportation ceremonies successful Delaware to person nan bodies of nan first American work members killed successful “Operation Epic Fury” and meet pinch members of their families.

He besides abstained from playing play while monitoring nan opening hostilities of nan U.S.-Israeli onslaught connected Iran from his Mar-a-Lago resort successful Palm Beach, Florida, connected Feb. 28 and March 1. He attended a kindness gala and an exclusive gathering of immoderate of his apical management officials and donors that weekend.

But nan onetime vocal critic of then-President Barack Obama’s golf outings has deed nan links astatine slightest 5 times since nan DHS backing lapsed successful February, including playing 20 holes complete 2 days March 22 and 23, according to an NBC News review. He has spent each play since nan motorboat of nan Iran war, and six of nan 7 weekends since nan DHS shutdown began, successful Florida.

In nan question and reply Tuesday, Trump said that he gets arsenic overmuch done astatine Mar-a-Lago arsenic he does successful nan White House and notes that it’s a location wherever overseas leaders often want to meet.

“It’s each work,” he said.

He added that “Mar-a-Lago is genuinely nan confederate White House and it’s a spot wherever I person tons of meetings.”

“People emotion going there,” he said. “I springiness leaders a choice. ‘Would you alternatively meet astatine nan White House aliases Mar-a-Lago?’ I’d opportunity it’s 50-50” which location they choose.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who is wide expected to tally for president successful 2028, sees it differently.

“Americans now person to salary a dollar much connected mean for a gallon of state because of Donald Trump’s warfare pinch Iran,” Newsom wrote connected X complete nan weekend. “But don’t worry! Our beloved president is moving eden and world to make judge he … tin play each time astatine his backstage play people this weekend.”

Bush, who was besides an avid golfer, said he gave up nan pursuit during nan Iraq War because he believed it sent nan “wrong signal.”

“I don’t want immoderate mom whose boy whitethorn person precocious died to spot nan commandant successful main playing golf,” he said. “I consciousness I beryllium it to nan families to beryllium arsenic — to beryllium successful solidarity arsenic champion arsenic I tin pinch them.”

Bush had been pilloried earlier successful his presidency aft he followed an on-camera statement astir “terrorist killers” successful nan Middle East, delivered during a play outing, by saying, “Now, watch this drive.”

Even arsenic Trump is golfing aliases engaged successful different leisure pursuits, nan warfare is still regularly astatine nan halfway of discussions, pinch friends relaying their feedback and offering their thoughts connected nationalist opinion, a personification acquainted pinch nan conversations said. And friends opportunity that he has demonstrated that he tin tally nan state from anywhere.

President Donald Trump departs Air Force One astatine Miami International Airport connected March 27. President Trump traveled to speak astatine a acme successful Miami Beach earlier heading to Palm Beach for nan weekend.Nathan Howard / Getty Images

“You can’t knock him for going there, because he still works,” McCarthy said of nan Florida trips. “The feline useful 24-7.”Robert O’Brien, who served arsenic nationalist information advisor during Trump’s first term, said he precocious sent his erstwhile leader a matter connection saying he is “one of nan awesome wartime presidents of nan 20th and 21st century.”

He favorably compared Trump’s trips to Franklin Roosevelt’s clip astatine nan retreat now known arsenic Camp David and Ronald Reagan’s visits to his ranch successful Santa Barbara, California.

“If President Trump tin get distant for a small spot of clip to beryllium pinch family astatine Mar-a-Lago and play a information of play aliases two, bully for him,” O’Brien said. “That’s bully for america arsenic a state and wholly successful nan contented of Roosevelt and Reagan.”

Taylor Budowich, a longtime Trump advisor who served arsenic lawman main of unit for portion of this term, contrasted nan president pinch his predecessor, Joe Biden.

“If America wanted to elite a anemic and feeble president who struggled to beforehand a azygous meaningful priority, Biden wouldn’t person dropped out” of nan 2024 election, Budowich said.

“Instead, America elected President Trump who enters each time pinch a passion and thrust that allows him to tackle a immense array of problems pinch a competence that acold exceeds his predecessors,” he said. “Thank God we person a president who tin transcend expectations successful each facet of nan job, and not 1 who crumbles nether nan weight of nan presidency.”

Some Republicans, though, opportunity it’s unhelpful to nan president and his statement for him to beryllium seen taking pleasance successful leisurely activities while nan federation is astatine war, consumers are getting squeezed by higher substance prices and travelers are stuck successful interminable lines astatine terminals.

“To kitchen-table, middle-class voters, pinch nan awesome objection of nan Trumpocracy, it gives a ‘Nero is playing nan aureate fiddle while Rome is burning’ vibe that they find repulsive,” 1 longtime GOP advisor said.

Steve Bannon, a elder White House advisor successful Trump’s first term, said successful an question and reply that Congress “goes connected a two-week picnic and they don’t return attraction of nan troops successful nan section and don’t return attraction [to ballot on] nan Save America Act and they don’t return attraction of nan American citizens sitting successful five-hour lines because they can’t get done nan airport.”

“It’s each performative and nan biggest performing comedian is Lindsey Graham — a grown-ass man who goes to Disney World alternatively of nan capitals of Europe to opportunity to NATO that you amended assistance us” successful nan warfare pinch Iran.

Travelers who spoke to NBC News astatine airports complete nan play expressed heavy vexation pinch elected officials. Some recovered Democrats culpable for blocking ICE and CBP funding, while others pointed their fingers astatine Trump and Republicans. And, of course, immoderate saw a pox connected some parties’ houses.

“I blasted them all,” Florida resident David Simons, 63, said successful an question and reply astatine Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. “It’s their occupation to activity this retired and they’re not doing it.”

Marshall Snyder, 65, said “God bless” nan TSA workers who person been toiling without pay. A retired Tulsa, Oklahoma, resident, Snyder first blamed Congress for nan mess.

“They each request to look successful nan mirror,” he said. “I can’t judge 535 grown men and women can’t travel to an agreement.”

Asked astir Trump’s role, he put nan president successful nan aforesaid category.

“OK, let’s make it 536,” he said.

If travelers for illustration Snyder and Simons were looking for a information point, lawmakers provided it Monday.

The corridors of powerfulness were mostly empty, pinch some chambers of Congress adjourned until April 13 and each location conducting only “pro forma” sessions that do not let for legislative business.

The first of those sessions took spot Monday, erstwhile nan Senate convened for 1 minute. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., designated by GOP leaders to enactment arsenic president of nan Senate successful lieu of nan vice president, executed a perfunctory parliamentary move known arsenic “gaveling successful and gaveling out.”

He opened nan Senate and past quickly publication retired a statement.

“Under nan erstwhile order, nan Senate stands adjourned until 7 a.m. connected Thursday, April 2, 2026,” Hoeven said, earlier ending nan convention by dropping nan gavel.

Rep. John Rose, R-Tenn., criticized Senate Republicans for refusing to effort and bring up nan House-passed DHS bill, tweeting: “not ONE Republican legislator went to nan level to put this DHS shutdown precisely wherever it belongs — connected nan Democrats. And I presume that’s because they fled Washington.”