type: timeline_event During the weekend of April 4-6, 2025, as U.S. markets experienced their worst losses in years following Trump's announcement of sweeping "reciprocal tariffs" on April 2 — with the S&P 500 dropping over 10% in two days — Trump spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Doral resorts in Florida. The Saudi government-backed LIV Golf tournament was held at Trump National Doral, generating revenue for Trump's resort. The New York Times reported that while markets raged and economic anxiety spread, "Trump family's cash registers ring," documenting how Trump's business interests benefited from events occurring alongside market turmoil he had created.
The Washington Post reported that Trump's relationship with Saudi Arabia — which backed LIV Golf through the Public Investment Fund — had increasingly merged his roles as president and business proprietor. Saudi Arabia's continued hosting of LIV Golf tournaments at Trump properties generated millions in revenue for the Trump Organization while Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund maintained significant influence over Trump administration foreign policy decisions affecting the kingdom. The juxtaposition of Trump as both policy-maker affecting global markets and beneficiary of Saudi-sponsored events at his own properties illustrated the corruption of the distinction between presidential duties and private financial interests.
The Daily Beast headline — "Trump Enjoys Big Moneymaking Weekend Amid Market Meltdown" — captured the optics that critics characterized as emblematic of Trump's presidency. While ordinary Americans saw retirement savings and stock portfolios decline sharply, Trump was hosting an event underwritten by a foreign government at his own property. The episode reinforced investigative reporting about the "brand-franchise" model of Trump's presidency, in which the office of president was treated as a commercial asset generating private revenue even as presidential decisions created public economic harm.