Republicans' old Obama tweets come back to bite after Trump's 12th golfing trip as President

Tweets from top Republicans disparaging former President Barack Obama’s golfing trips have come back to haunt them as President Donald Trump finishes up his 12th golfing trip in two months.

The President, who tweeted on multiple occasions that his predecessor should not have spent so much time on the course, has spent every weekend since 20 January swinging clubs at his Florida estate.

It is estimated that each trip south from Washington DC costs taxpayers around $3 million.

The press pool was told the President would spend last Saturday “in meetings” but an Instagram photo showing Mr Trump in his golfing gear at his club house suggested otherwise.

But it is not only the President whose past tweets appear relatively hypocritical in 2017 under a Republican administration. His Press Secretary Sean Spicer also attacked Mr Obama in 2012.

“Wish I could be on the golf course but have to work – must be nice to be President,” he wrote.

Reince Priebus, Mr Trump’s chief of staff, wrote in August 2014: “Obama’s golf outings aren’t just bad optics, they’re foolish. And voters realise that.”

The sentiment was shared by former House Speaker and Trump advocate Newt Gingrich in 2013.

“Canceling white house tours is childish and dishonest-the golf weekend in florida cost enough to keep the white house open for months,” he said.

Mr Spicer has since claimed his boss’ love for the same sport is different.

“How you use the game of golf is something that he’s talked about,” he said, referring to the President playing with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

Asked if Mr Trump might consider the taxpayer cost when flying to Florida every week, Mr Spicer replied that suggestion would be a “vast reach”.

“I mean, Presidents always travel,” he told reporters.

“And I think the President, wherever he goes, he carries the apparatus of the White House with us. That is just something that happens. The President will continue to go and travel around the country and have meetings to solve the nation's problems.”