Trump's Club Charges Secret Service for His Favorite Hot Dogs

Donald Trump is famously fond of hot dogs, and a former employee of his Virginia golf club says the president took particular pride in the frankfurters served at a snack shack near the 11th tee at Trump National Golf Club outside Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump has frequently visited his golf properties, including Trump National Golf Club in Virginia, where Secret Service agents accompany him.

According to the former employee, Trump wanted people in his orbit to try the hot dogs, including Secret Service agents assigned to protect him.

The employee told Forbes that the club eventually established a dedicated Secret Service account because the agents could not simply accept the food as a gift from the president's private club.

"It got to the point where we had to start a Secret Service account at the club," the former employee said, according to Forbes. The arrangement allowed the club to charge the Secret Service for the food consumed by agents.

The issue reflects a broader ethical concern surrounding federal employees accepting gifts from outside sources.

Government ethics rules generally restrict federal employees from accepting gifts, subject to various exceptions.

Trump has also spent substantial amounts of time at his golf properties during his second presidential term. An analysis cited by Forbes found that he had visited his golf properties roughly 165 times during his first 600 days in office, spending more than 1,400 hours there.

The figures illustrate how frequently Trump's presidential travel includes visits to his privately owned golf properties, where Secret Service personnel accompany him.