Renovations, royal parties and sports: Trump relishes the perks of being president

LONDON — How powerful is the U.S. president?

LONDON — How powerful is the U.S. president? Enough to take the weightiest job imaginable and make it pretty entertaining.

Take a couple of weeks recently out of Donald Trump’s life. He slept Wednesday night in a castle fit quite literally for a king, the guest of a British leadership eager to impress a president who likes to be honored.

He left Thursday for a White House that he’s remaking to suit his tastes. Workers have been digging up trees to accommodate his passion project: a new ballroom that will seat up to 900 guests.

Trump’s trip to Yankee Stadium on Sept. 11 to watch a baseball game was the ninth sporting event he’s attended since retaking office, compared to just one at the same point in his first term, NBC News research shows. Next week, he heads to Long Island to watch the Ryder Cup golf tournament at the fabled Bethpage Black course.

Trump with Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees in the locker room before a game.Doug Mills / Pool via Getty ImagesSince his inauguration, Trump has been fashioning a presidency aligned with his preferences, taking presidential diversions in new directions. He has taken about a third as many domestic trips to promote policy initiatives than last time around, while plunging into pursuits that one might consider, well, fun.