(CNN) President Donald Trump departed the White House on Friday for a 17-day working vacation at his golf club in New Jersey.

Trump's vacation, as The Washington Post's Philip Bump notes , is twice as long as the vacation President Barack Obama took to Martha's Vineyard in his first year in office -- and will mean Trump has spent 53 "leisure" days through August 2017 as compared to 15 for Obama through August 2009.

Generally speaking, I think "the president is taking a too-long vacation" is a dumb storyline. Presidents -- of both parties -- deserve some down time. Whether they play golf or clear brush in their free time, it's fine with me! We all need a little break. And let's be honest: If I am always not so far from my phone (and work) on vacation, then you can sure as hell bet the president of the United States is staying dialed in too. It's not as though these presidents go to a remote island where there's no phone or Internet service.

That said, Trump asked for this criticism. He was relentless not only in his attacks on Obama's vacation habits but insistent that he wouldn't take any vacation if he was elected president.

"Pres. Obama is about to embark on a 17 day vacation in his 'native' Hawaii, putting Secret Service away from families on Christmas. Aloha!," Trump tweeted in December 2013 . "President Obama has a major meeting on the N.Y.C. Ebola outbreak, with people flying in from all over the country, but decided to play golf!," he tweeted in October 2014

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