In response to the Associated Press article detailing the hundreds of thousands of dollars Trump’s “working vacation” is costing New Jersey business owners, DNC Northeast Press Secretary Elizabeth Renda released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s frequent visits to small communities like Bedminster are burdensome, unnecessary, and inappropriate. Trump’s vacations are hurting local economies, costing small businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost profit, and are burdening taxpayers and local residents. The President should go back to the White House and start putting the success of New Jersey’s economy, business owners, and local communities ahead of the success of his back swing.”

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Associated Press: Trump N.J. visits putting big dent in small airports' business

Thor Solberg's business is down — try practically nonexistent — at a time when it's usually way up, and he has President Donald Trump to thank for it.

Solberg's is one of two small airports in western New Jersey that are essentially closed down because of federal aviation regulations because they are within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of where Trump is spending 17 days this month at his Bedminster country club. More than a dozen other airports also face restrictions.

This is high season for small airports that cater to amateur fliers and business clients.

But at Solberg-Hunterdon Airport, which averages about 100 combined takeoffs and landings per day, a handful of planes sat idle Monday. Normally 70 to 80 planes would be paying to be housed there and paying for fuel and flight training time, Solberg said.

“Twenty percent of our annual business is affected by the president's visits in the summertime because that's how much of our business takes place on the weekends in the summertime,” Solberg said.

Small airports and aviation-related businesses near Trump's properties in Florida and New Jersey have lost out on hundreds of thousands of dollars in business already this year. And they have no recourse other than to appeal to the Secret Service, which oversees presidential security.

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