US President Donald Trump, who once asked "what's the point" of holidays and often admonished his predecessor for taking them while in office, has begun a 17-day holiday to one of his golf resorts.
Arriving in Bedminster, New Jersey, for an extended break, the president left behind a capital grappling with a Russia scandal and hit by extraordinary leaks from government officials.
He has also failed to seize any major legislative victories in his first seven months in office, and is at odds with several Republican politicians on multiple fronts.
The White House said Mr Trump's Bedminster stay would be a "working vacation," and cited scheduled upgrades of the West Wing's heating and cooling system as a reason why he was leaving.
"The President will continue to work over the next two weeks," said White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters.
A president taking time off from a hectic schedule is nothing new. But Mr Trump's down time is in the spotlight largely because of his relentless criticism of Barack Obama's breaks from the White House.
He criticised Mr Obama in 2011 for playing golf and then heading to a ten-day holiday in Martha's Vineyard.
"Nice work ethic," Mr Trump tweeted at the time.
"Pres. Obama is about to embark on a 17 day vacation in his 'native' Hawaii, putting Secret Service away from families on Christmas. Aloha!," Mr Trump posted two years later.
Not only did Mr Trump attack Mr Obama, he routinely told supporters he would eschew time off if he were elected because he would be swamped with work.
"I would not be a president who took vacations," he said in 2015. "I would not be a president that takes time off."
Mr Trump was accompanied on Air Force One by his daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and their three children.
In late 2012, Mr Trump tweeted his own apparent aversion to holidays: "What's the point? If you're not enjoying your work, you're in the wrong job."
Despite his comments, Mr Trump has taken considerably more time off than Mr Obama in their respective first seven months in office.
According to a Washington Post tally, by the end of August Mr Trump will have spent all or part of 53 days at leisure during his presidency, compared with 15 days for Mr Obama through August 2009.
Much of Mr Trump's time off took place at properties bearing his name.
At the height of negotiations over health care reform, Mr Trump chided politicians by saying he could not imagine "that Congress would dare to leave Washington" without sending a new health care bill to his desk.
Mr Trump ultimately failed to successfully broker a deal, the Republican health care reforms collapsed, and Congress shut down on Thursday for its month-long summer recess.
Russia inquiry team asks White House for records - report
Investigators examining Mr Trump's team for possible connections to Russia have asked the White House to hand over records for what is believed to be the first time, the New York Times said.
Members of the federal investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller requested the White House submit documents linked to Mr Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn, according to the paper, citing authorities close to the investigation.
The document request, while not a formal subpoena, was the latest signal that the investigation is gathering pace.
The news came one day after reports revealed that Mr Mueller - a former FBI director - has impaneled a grand jury to investigate Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Mr Flynn - who was fired mere weeks after being named Mr Trump's national security adviser over mischaracterising contacts with Russian officials - is at the centre of the Russia controversy plaguing the White House.
Asked for comment on the story presidential lawyer Ty Cobb said the White House would not discuss "specific communications" with Mr Mueller but would "continue to fully cooperate with the Special Counsel".
Mr Trump has repeatedly denied allegations of collusion, saying he is the victim of a political "witch hunt" and "fake news".
Investigators had also questioned witnesses over whether Mr Flynn received secret payments from the Turkish government at the end of the 2016 presidential campaign - suggesting the investigation's scope has widened to examine Mr Flynn's financial dealings.
US media has reported that Mr Mueller is also said to be investigating Mr Trump's financial records unrelated to Russia or the election.
Mr Trump has publicly warned Mr Mueller that his financial dealings should be out of bounds and investigating them would cross a red line.
