Trump spotted at golf club as two US service members killed: report

President Donald Trump was spotted at his golf courses in Bedminster, New Jersey on Saturday as his deeply unpopular war against Iran claimed the lives of two U.S. service members just hours earlier, The Daily Beast reported.

“It was not clear if [Trump] had already been informed of the deaths, but a White House press pool call scheduled for noon was pushed back to 2 p.m., and then later to 4 p.m., suggesting damage control behind the scenes,” The Daily Beast’s report reads.

U.S. Central Command revealed Saturday that two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan following retaliatory strikes from Iran, and that a third U.S. service member was “currently missing.” Jordan houses the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a major hub for U.S. air power in the region.

Amid the escalation in the Middle East, Trump, according to The Daily Beast, was at the Trump National Golf Club in New Jersey, which has a $125,000 member initiation fee to join.

The escalation was sparked last week after Iran launched strikes on a container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz, which Iranian officials claimed was a violation of the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. The United States responded by launching a wave of strikes on Iran, which itself prompted an exchange of retaliatory strikes that persisted through Saturday.

At least 16 U.S. service members have been killed in the U.S. war against Iran since it began in late February.