Call it Camp David in MAGA country.
President Donald Trump is making plans to turn Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach County into a “U.S. Presidential Golf Course,” that would offer a high-security retreat for future presidents and visiting foreign heads of state, the Palm Beach Post reported.
The proposal was outlined in a letter to county commissioners from one of Trump’s attorneys, first reported by the newspaper earlier this month.
Palm Beach County commissioners plan to evaluate the proposal for Trump International Golf Course, which sits on county-owned land in West Palm Beach.
Under the offer, the Trump Organization would cover the costs of building presidential lodging, and it would provide free access to the lodging and club facilities at no cost to the federal government. Construction would be coordinated with the General Services Administration and the U.S. Secret Service.
The underlying business entity would remain under the control of the Trump Organization.
County Administrator Joe Abruzzo called the proposal a “remarkable and historic opportunity,” and Commissioner Maria Sachs highlighted its potential to elevate the region’s profile and boost the local economy.
However, approval requires full commission support, and questions remain regarding land usage and oversight.
Commissioner Joel Flores cautioned that commissioners must ensure local taxpayers bear no financial burden and raised concerns about potential long-term disruptions to nearby airport flight patterns. Commissioner Gregg Weiss echoed those concerns, stating the county needs further details regarding lease extensions and logistics before taking official action.
The golf club operates on land leased from the county under a 1996 lawsuit settlement with Palm Beach International Airport, which county commissioners renamed for Trump this year. Trump had sued the county because of flight traffic over Mar-a-Lago, and the county’s settlement agreement included the golf-course land lease.
The billionaire U.S. President has complained about Camp David, which doesn’t have a golf course and was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1938. Trump has visited the Maryland retreat far less often than other presidents, preferring his own properties, such as Mar-a-Lago. In his first term, Trump called Camp David “very rough” and indicated that it’s boring.
—Rachel Stone
