Trump has spent more than half of his last three months in what White House staffers describe as "executive time," a term that combines periods when the president watches television, tweets or talks on the phone, according to leaked presidential schedules obtained by Axios.
According to Axios's six unnamed sources, Trump is an early riser, usually waking before 5 a.m., often spending the first five hours of each day in the residence "watching TV, reading the papers, and responding to what he sees and reads by phoning aides, members of Congress, friends, administration officials and informal advisers,"
This information appears to refute official White House schedules that place the POTUS in the Oval Office between 8-11 a.m.
"He's always calling people, talking to people," a senior White House official told the news website. "He's always up to something; it's just not what you would consider typical structure."
Often, Trump holds meetings during his executive time, either due to a spur-of-the-moment decision, or fears that plans will be leaked.
Sometimes, Trump's mornings include calls with heads of state, political meetings and in-person meetings with lawyers which are not on the published schedules, Axios reports.
Everyone — from scholars to White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders — admits that Trump's handling of his schedule is not like any other US president.
"The most important asset in any presidency is the president's time," says Chris Whipple, a student of presidential schedules and author of a book on White House chiefs of staff.
"Trump is a guy who gives new meaning to the notion of an unstructured presidency," Whipple noted.
"While he spends much of his average day in scheduled meetings, events, and calls, there is time to allow for a more creative environment that has helped make him the most productive president in modern history," she avowed, cited by Axios.
"The results speak for themselves," Sanders stated. "President Trump has ignited a booming economy with lower taxes and higher wages, established the USA as the #1 producer of oil and gas in the world, remade our judiciary, rebuilt our military, and renegotiated better trade deals. It's indisputable that our country has never been stronger than it is today under the leadership of President Trump."
On Saturday, Trump again made headlines after playing golf with sport legends Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
"Everyone is asking how Tiger played yesterday," Trump tweeted on Sunday.
Everyone is asking how Tiger played yesterday. The answer is Great! He was long, straight & putted fantastically well. He shot a 64. Tiger is back & will be winning Majors again! Not surprisingly, Jack also played really well. His putting is amazing! Jack & Tiger like each other.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 3 февраля 2019 г.
"The answer is Great! He was long, straight & putted fantastically well. He shot a 64. Tiger is back & will be winning Majors again! Not surprisingly, Jack also played really well. His putting is amazing! Jack & Tiger like each other."
