Trump loves golf weekends but builds projects during weekdays

Standing outside a Washington courthouse in late August, one of Donald Trump's closest Cabinet allies accidentally revealed exactly what occupies his mind instead of international crisis talks. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick smiled broadly while explaining that the president finds two specific activities genuinely enjoyable. He plays golf on weekends and he builds during the week. The New York Times first shared this observation after Lutnick spoke at a press conference regarding the Kennedy Center.

A protester kept shouting shame at the secretary as he argued why the court should allow Trump's name to be added to DC's sprawling theater complex. Lutnick claimed that if you sat with him for a nice chat, people would immediately start asking about Iran or other urgent topics. He noted that everyone does this, yet construction remains the one thing the president likes to do all week. The Commerce Secretary has known Trump for decades through New York business circles and described him as a construction manager capable of driving massive remodels.

This comes after hostilities between the US and Iran flared again last week following a monthlong halt from late July through August. US officials stated they hit Iranian launchers on August 30 and September 1 with some of the largest strikes in weeks. Iran responded by firing nearly 60 projectiles at Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, and allied bases in its most aggressive move since April. The Department of War reported that eighteen US service members have died and over seven hundred fifty have been wounded during this conflict.

Iran's health ministry claimed the strikes killed eighteen people and injured one hundred eight others while estimates suggest more than three thousand five hundred Iranians have perished overall though exact totals remain unclear. A naval blockade has strangled the regime economy since a ceasefire agreement signed in June quickly fell through, leaving Iran facing debilitating inflation that is tanking its local currency value. The recent escalation shows how fast this war can spiral and cause major political or economic flare-ups for everyone involved on both sides of the border.