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Political and Officials Trips
The a president and his family and staff travel on Air Force One for a combination of political and officials purposes, they typically reimburse taxpayers for the part of the trip that is considered campaigning.
For example, if half of the president's trip is spent raising money for his or another official's election, he or his campaign will reimburse taxpayers for half the cost of his travel, food and lodging.
There are gray areas, of course.
"When they travel and appear in public to defend their policy positions, the difference between their official duties and their activities as leaders of their political party can be difficult to assess," the Congressional Research Service reported in 2012.
"As a result, the White House decides the nature of travel on a case-by-case basis, attempting to determine whether each trip, or part of a trip, is or is not official by considering the nature of the event involved, and the role of the individual involved."
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