BRIDGEWATER, N.J. —said his 17-day getaway at his New Jersey golf club is “not a vacation.”

“Working in Bedminster, N.J., as long planned construction is being done at the White House. This is not a vacation - meetings and calls!” Trump tweeted.

Working in Bedminster, N.J., as long planned construction is being done at the White House. This is not a vacation - meetings and calls!

CNN flashed an on-screen graphic Friday night over images of Air Force One that read “Vacation Critic Takes Time Off.”

Trump’s vacation does coincide with renovations at the White House that are forcing his staff to temporarily vacate the West Wing, including the replacement of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

Other improvements that will be made to the White House during Trump’s vacation include work on the Navy mess kitchen, a restaurant in the West Wing run by the U.S. Navy, the building's lower lobby, the information technology system and other "generic cosmetic upgrades."

White House social media director Dan Scavino shared a photo of the Oval Office being cleared out an hour after Trump departed the executive mansion for his trip to the Trump National Golf Club.



Renovations underway at the @WhiteHouse. One hour after Air Force One is wheels upthe Oval Office is empty. West Wing is clearing out now. pic.twitter.com/FRLZX2WWFN — Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) August 5, 2017

Presidents routinely leave Washington for vacation during the summer months, and Trump is no exception. But the White House has pushed back on the notion that Trump is truly taking time off, describing his trip as a “working vacation.”

For the most part, Trump’s activities on Saturday were unclear. He received a briefing from chief of staff John Kelly on a U.S. military helicopter crash off the Australian coast. But the White House declined to say what else was on his schedule.

A White House official said that over the next two weeks the president planned to meet with Kelly and other advisers as well as members of Congress.

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Saturday greeting wedding guests at his golf club, something he enjoys doing when he stops by his properties. But the president also built in some time for leisure. He was filmed greeting wedding guests at his golf club, something he enjoys doing when he stops by his properties.