A Day in Trump's Life: Golf, Truth Social, and 100-Word Policy Briefs

Former President Trump's daily routine and approach to policymaking are described by those familiar with his White House.

Published on Feb. 21, 2026

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According to accounts from journalists familiar with the Trump White House, the former president had a very different daily routine and approach to policymaking compared to his predecessor Barack Obama. Trump would wake up late, spend significant time on social media and playing golf, and make decisions based on brief, high-level policy summaries rather than in-depth analysis.

Why it matters

Trump's unconventional presidential style, with its emphasis on gut instinct and social media over rigorous policy process, was a significant departure from previous administrations and raised questions about the decision-making that shaped major policies during his term.

The details

Journalists described how Trump would typically arrive at the Oval Office later in the morning compared to Obama, and spend only 1-3 hours per day in front of cameras, with the rest of his time being more "freeform." Trump was said to play a lot of golf on weekends at his private clubs, where he would hold court in "rolling conversations" rather than structured policy debates. The policy process under Trump was also markedly different, with aides providing him with brief, 100-word summaries on issues rather than detailed briefing materials, allowing Trump to make decisions without deep subject matter knowledge.

  • Trump would typically wake up late in the morning and arrive at the Oval Office later than previous presidents.
  • Trump would spend 1-3 hours per day in front of cameras at the White House.
  • Trump would play a lot of golf on weekends at his private clubs.

The players

Donald Trump

The 45th President of the United States, known for his unconventional presidential style and reliance on social media.

Barack Obama

The 44th President of the United States, who was known for his structured and analytical approach to policymaking.

Michael Scherer

An Atlantic staff writer who is familiar with the Trump White House.

Ashley Parker

An Atlantic writer who is familiar with the Trump White House.

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What they’re saying

“He wakes up late. [Former President Barack] Obama would start work very early in the Oval Office and work until dinnertime, and then he'd go back to the residence. Trump comes down later in the morning.”

— Michael Scherer, Atlantic staff writer (alternet.org)

“He plays a lot of golf on the weekends. He goes to his private clubs — Mar-a-Lago in the winter, [or his New Jersey private golf club] Bedminster sometimes when it's nicer — where he holds court. But it's much more of a rolling conversation than it is a meaningful policy debate in the traditional sense.”

— Ashley Parker, Atlantic writer (alternet.org)

“If [Obama] was doing something on trade, he would want to hear all different inputs in a very structured way from economic experts, etc., etc., all the relevant people. Then he'd synthesize all of that very granular information and make a decision. When you look at some of Trump's trade [policies], which sometimes are announced — like much in his administration — in the middle of the night on Truth Social, that may not have been vetted by anyone.”

— Ashley Parker, Atlantic writer (alternet.org)

“He doesn't need to read the source material. He doesn't need to go back through the history of things. Bill Pulte, who runs the Federal Housing Finance Agency ... will come into the Oval Office with posterboards. I've been in the Oval Office in the first term and seen briefing documents for President Trump about a policy that's basically 100 words on a page — just bullet points that are not detailed. It's like, 'here's the five sentences you need to know about this thing before you make a decision.' Not 'here's the 500 pages you need to know.'”

— Michael Scherer, Atlantic staff writer (alternet.org)

The takeaway

Trump's unconventional presidential style, marked by a reliance on social media, gut instinct, and high-level policy briefs rather than rigorous analysis, represented a significant departure from previous administrations and raised questions about the decision-making process that shaped major policies during his term.