(JUPITER, FL) — As markets braced for another meltdown triggered by President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, Democrats hammered the president for spending the weekend golfing rather than responding to Americans’ fears that their retirement accounts are plummeting with the markets.
Trump left Washington, D.C., for Florida on Thursday to attend a LiV Golf Tournament dinner ahead of a tournament at his Doral club in Florida. On Saturday and Sunday, he played in a club championship at his Trump National Golf Club in Jupiter.
On Thursday, the first trading day after Trump announced the tariffs, the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted nearly 4%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq declined almost 6%. On Friday, the downward spiral continued with the Dow falling by 2,230 points, or 5.5%, while the S&P 500 plunged by 6%.
Dow futures opened Sunday evening down 1,500 points, or 4% percent., while the S&P 500 and NASDAQ 100 futures were also down 4%.
Democrats criticized Trump’s apparent lack of concern at Americans’ anxiety surrounding the tanking markets.
“I think people have seen their retirement savings on fire. And there he is out on the golf course,” Democratic Sen. Adam Schiff said Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “That may end up being the most enduring image of the Trump presidency, that is, the president out on a golf cart while people’s retirement is in flames.”
On Saturday, Trump encouraged Americans to “HANG TOUGH” in a post on his Truth Social platform. “THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN,” he said.
The same day, the White House told reporters covering the president that Trump had won his second-round matchup for the senior championship at his Jupiter club and was to play in the championship round on Sunday. Trump posted a video of him teeing off on Truth Social on Sunday, though it was not clear when the video was shot.
During Saturday’s “Hands Off” protests, Democratic lawmakers railed against Trump’s policies and his time on the golf course.
“Get your ass off the golf course and face the people!” California Rep. Eric Swalwell told Trump in front of a crowd protesting at the National Mall in Washington.
Rep. Jasmine Crockett of Texas posted on Bluesky: “Trump’s out here swinging golf clubs while folks are in the streets fighting back.”
Sen. Elizabeth Warren called on Republicans to help Democrats reverse Trump’s tariffs and stop what she called “the dumbest trade war in history.”
“While Donald Trump is relaxing on the golf course, working people are worried about rising prices and an economic crash,” she posted on X.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also took issue with Trump’s weekend.
“You know, Donald Trump, the biggest lie that this guy ever told was that he cared about you, the American people. He does not. He cares about himself and his billionaire donors like Elon Musk,” Jeffries said Saturday on MSNBC’s “The Weekend.” “And as if we didn’t need any additional proof, but at the same time that the retirement savings is crashing, the stock market is crashing, the economy is crashing, Donald Trump is on the golf course? This is what he chooses to do?”
Trump boarded Air Force One in Palm Beach, Florida, en route back to Washington on Sunday without speaking to reporters.
ABC News’ Hannah Demissie contributed to this report.
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