Trump Is 'Not Happy' With Tom Price For Exclusively Flying On Private Jets

Flying on private planes is all the rage in the Trump administration — cabinet members just can’t get enough of the taxpayer-funded glamor. Even the so-called “fiscal conservatives” are down with superfluous spending: enter Tom Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services, who has spent (at minimum) $300,000 on charter flights since May. Since May! An unlikely figure emerged on Wednesday to lambast Price about his predilection on for private flights: President Trump.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference outside the White House, Trump suggested that Price might lose his job over the private flights. “We’ll see,” Trump said responding to a reporter who asked about Price’s future. “I was looking into it and I will look into it. I will tell you personally, I’m not happy about it. I am not happy about it I’m going to look at it. I let him know it.”

But Trump’s frustration with Price apparently went much further, per Politico:

White House officials said Trump was shocked by Price’s behavior, especially because he nurtured a reputation as a fiscal conservative during his time as a House lawmaker.

Two administration officials said the steady drumbeat of reports on Price’s travel has made the issue impossible to ignore.

The president is annoyed with cable news coverage of Price’s travel, one of these people said. “He goes, ‘Why did he do this? It makes no sense,’” the official said.

The hypocrisy of Trump, a man whose affinity for golf has cost taxpayers an exorbitant amount of money, being confused over Price’s wasteful travel is astounding. In any case, Trump is apparently considering firing Price for another reason — namely, Price’s inability to “woo” enough Republican Senators who would support the now-failed Affordable Care Act repeal made Trump look extremely bad.

Though Price shouldn’t start packing up his office yet because he’s not the first cabinet member to be publicly put on blast and retain his job.