For a party that prides itself on being “fiscally responsible,” the modern GOP under Donald Trump has redefined what wasteful government spending looks like. Golf trips dressed up as diplomacy. Hair appointments billed like national emergencies. All at the taxpayer’s expense.

Donald Trump may have traded in public office for putting greens, but one thing hasn’t changed: the man knows how to spend taxpayer money like it’s his birthright. While he globe-trots with a price tag north of $9.7 million to promote his Scottish golf course (source: Democrats.org, referencing HuffPost), American taxpayers foot the bill—and once again, it’s framed as a “work trip.”

Let that settle in for a moment. A man who built his brand on “America First” now bills the public for golf-course tours overseas, all while claiming the mantle of business acumen and patriotism.

What kind of “work,” exactly, involves cutting ribbons at a 36-hole vanity project—dedicated to his mother, whom he literally buried on-site for a tax break? What kind of leadership prioritizes fairway openings over federal accountability? This isn’t even satire anymore; it’s business as usual.

And Scotland? Oh, they understood the assignment. With headlines like “Disgraced U.S. figure to arrive in Scotland,” (source: Yahoo News UK, citing The National, Scotland) protests featuring graffiti like “Free Palestine” and a certain four-letter insult across his gates, the Scots made it clear: Trump’s brand isn’t welcome there either.

Isn’t it telling that while the rest of the world can clearly see what’s going on, many Americans are still unsure what to believe—or worse, refuse to look at all?

? Watch: Kenny Hesse for Really American

Scottish Protesters HUMILIATE Trump on His $10 Million Golf Tour

But it gets better—or worse, depending on how much you’ve paid in taxes lately.

Trump reportedly spent $70,000 on hair styling (source: Refinery29, referencing The New York Times). Not campaign ads. Not scholarships. Hair. Ivanka? Nearly $100,000 in “business expenses” for hers. That alone is enough to make anyone who’s ever shopped a Walgreens shampoo sale weep.

Imagine what $70,000 in haircuts could’ve done for food pantries, shelters, or even veterans’ services. But no—Donald needed his swoop.

This struck a nerve with me personally. COVID didn’t just shutter businesses—it shifted how we see ourselves. I used to be the kind of woman who had her nails, hair, toes, and brows done regularly. Not out of vanity, but out of self-respect, confidence, and care. When I was in real estate, those rituals were part of the uniform. Post-COVID? That fell away, especially after I walked away from real estate for good.

But tomorrow, after five long years of wearing my hair up every day, I’m getting it cut and colored. And I promise you this: it won’t cost anywhere near $70,000.

It’s not that self-care is frivolous. It’s the opposite. But when a president spends more on his hair than most Americans earn in a year, something is deeply broken.

Let’s also not forget the numbers:

• $26 million spent on golf in just the first 91 days of his second term (source: The Daily Astorian, Letter to the Editor; note: while this figure is cited in a public letter, direct, specific GAO documentation for this exact claim for his second term may not be immediately public as a standalone report.)
• $3.4 million for one weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago (source: PolitiFact, referencing GAO and media; see also GAO report summary)
• $421 million in outstanding loans (source: Wikipedia, citing New York Times analysis of Forbes data)
• Trump hotels overcharging taxpayers by up to 300% (source: Newsweek, reporting House Oversight Committee findings)
• 547 days at Trump properties during his first term (source: CREW tracking, referencing Washington Post)
• All while paying just $750 in federal income tax in 2016, and zero in 10 of the last 15 years (source: Al Jazeera, summarizing NYT report and CBS News, also summarizing NYT report).

And still, MAGA loyalists defend it.

If you’re going to call yourself the party of fiscal responsibility, act like it. Otherwise, you’re just cosplaying as patriots while handing over the country’s wallet to a man who styles himself with gold toilets and government-funded blowouts.

To be fair, some may argue that international travel is part of post-presidential diplomacy or business development—but when the itinerary consists primarily of golf course ribbon cuttings and personal property promotions, it’s hard to see the public benefit.

This isn’t about left or right. It’s about right and wrong.