Rush Limbaugh falsely asserted that Michelle Obama took “40 of her best friends and leas[ed] 60 rooms in a 5 star hotel -- paid by you.” In fact, the White House has said the Obamas are paying for personal expenses on the trip, including their lodging.
Limbaugh falsely claims taxpayers funding 60 luxury hotel rooms for Michelle Obama's vacation
Written by Christine Schwen
Published
Limbaugh falsely asserted that “60 rooms in a 5 star hotel” are being “paid for by you”
Limbaugh: Obama is “taking 40 of her best friends and leasing 60 rooms in a 5 star hotel - paid for by you.” On the August 6 broadcast of his show, Limbaugh asserted: “Michelle has a beach closed down in Spain after taking 40 of her best friends and leasing 60 rooms in a 5 star hotel - paid for by you, because they deserve it -- but you have to pay, you have to pay up.” He went on to say that “the Obamas have not done a days worth of work in their lives to generate this kind of lifestyle for themselves. They are living off of you, and every one of us.”
White House: Obamas paying personal expenses on trip, including rooms
LA Times: White House says “personal expenses, such as hotel rooms and meals, were being paid for by the Obamas.” Los Angeles Times reported on August 5 that the Obamas are paying for their hotel rooms:
But one White House official said Obama had a “small” group of friends and “minimal” staff on the trip, and said personal expenses, such as hotel rooms and meals, were being paid for by the Obamas.
“Any additional footprint, including rooms needed for security support and transportation, falls under the same rules as have applied to any previous first family travel,” the official said. That is, private expenses are paid for privately and government expenses are picked up by Uncle Sam.
CNN: White House says Obama vacation “is a private trip and is being paid for that way.” On the August 6 edition of CNN's Rick's List, Brooke Baldwin reported that “the White House says, quote, 'it is a private trip and is being paid for that way.' But taxpayers -- to be clear -- taxpayers are paying for her transportation and housing for dozens of her Secret Service agents who of course are there making sure she, her family - her daughter - are safe.”