Trump proposes his golf club as presidential retreat

Summarised from 3 outlets · 4 reports · Updated 7 Oct, 21:44 · Archive

President Trump wants to designate his Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach as a presidential retreat for current and future US presidents and visiting foreign leaders. A letter from the golf course's lawyer, Harvey Oyer, sent to Palm Beach County commissioners in September, made the proposal public. The letter compared the proposed retreat to Camp David in Maryland, Windsor Castle and the Élysée Palace.

Trump told the Washington Post that the plan was suggested to him by the military and Secret Service. A White House official confirmed that "the United States government has asked to look into developing a presidential retreat" at the golf course. The official cited the property's security features, including the absence of high buildings or residential houses overlooking it, and its proximity to law enforcement and Donald J. Trump International Airport.

According to Trump, the golf course would allow presidents to hold important meetings and "utilize the amenities of a world-class property". Trump noted that "all presidents play golf" and that the location would provide security advantages for any president seeking a getaway. The Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach opened in 1999 and was Trump's first golf property.

Oyer's letter stated that Trump International would pay for building a lodging facility at the site, designed in cooperation with the General Services Administration and the Secret Service. Oyer described the proposal as "a gift that the president would like to share with his successors, the people of America, and his fellow Palm Beach County residents". He added that no name for the proposed presidential golf course had yet been chosen, and that Trump would be out of office before completion of the project. The existing Camp David retreat spans 125 acres in Maryland's Catoctin Mountain Park, approximately 60 miles northwest of Washington, D.C.

How it is being reported

• Trump wants his West Palm Beach golf club to be a ‘presidential retreat’A letter proposing the golf course compared it to Windsor Castle and the Élysée PalaceIndependent World · 7 Oct, 22:14
• Trump unveils massive new pet project to transform Florida golf club into a lavish retreat for all future presidents: 'It's a great idea'President Donald Trump is moving to transform his private Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach into a secure, Camp David-style retreat.Daily Mail · 7 Oct, 21:39
• Trump pitches Trump International Golf Course for site of "presidential retreat"It's not yet clear what the taxpayer benefit would be for such a build, or how much it would cost.CBS News · 7 Oct, 21:36
• Now Trump wants to build a new Camp David - at one of his private golf clubsA letter proposing the golf course compared it to Windsor Castle and the Élysée PalaceIndependent World · 7 Oct, 14:09

In this story: Trump · Trump International Golf Club West Palm Beach · Palm Beach County · Camp David · Mar-a-Lago

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem