President Trump managed to find something worth celebrating on a morning when fresh data showed inflation surging to its worst level in more than three years.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform Wednesday to tout the news that a concrete helicopter landing pad at his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach would be allowed to remain beyond the end of his presidency, linking to a local news report on the decision. The timing was, to put it charitably, awkward.
Hours earlier, the Labor Department released figures showing the Consumer Price Index climbed 4.2 percent in May compared to the same time last year—the third consecutive monthly acceleration, and the fastest annual pace of inflation since April 2023. Prices rose 0.5 percent in May alone, driven largely by energy costs tied to the ongoing war in the Middle East. Inflation had been running at 2.4 percent annually before Trump’s military intervention in Iran in February.
With midterm elections only months away, the numbers directly contradict one of Trump’s central campaign promises—that he would quickly bring down costs for American consumers. Instead, households are facing renewed pressure from rising prices, while businesses continue to absorb uncertainty from geopolitical tensions that show no signs of easing. Trump issued a new threat on Wednesday to escalate the war with Iran.
“They’ve taken too long to negotiate a deal that would have been great for them, now they will have to pay the price!!!” he said of Iran.
Core inflation, which strips out food and energy, came in at 2.9 percent, the highest since September. The data also complicates the Federal Reserve’s path on interest rates, even with Trump’s handpicked chairman, Kevin Warsh, now running the central bank. Fed officials have repeatedly said they need confidence that inflation is moving sustainably toward their two percent target before cutting rates. Wednesday’s figures make that increasingly unlikely any time soon.
Palm Beach’s Town Council voted unanimously to allow the concrete pad on Mar-a-Lago’s west lawn to remain in place for as long as Trump or first lady Melania Trump designate the property as their private residence after he leaves office. After that point, it must be demolished within three months. The original approval had required it to come down the moment Trump left the White House.
The Secret Service and White House Military Office had pushed for the change, citing increasing security threats to Trump and his family. The new arrangement comes with strict conditions, including restrictions on who can use the pad and potential fines or forced demolition for violations.
“I thank you, because I think the declaration-of-use that you and Joanne have come up with both protects the president and protects us,” Palm Beach Council Member Julie Araskog told Mar-a-Lago’s attorney at the meeting.
A previous helipad at the property was built in 2017 and demolished in early 2021, within weeks of Trump’s first departure from the White House. The new pad, planned to be larger to accommodate newer Marine Corps helicopters, is scheduled for construction this summer.
Trump is also eyeing a helipad on the South Lawn of the White House, USA Today reported, after the current system of movable planks used as a landing zone has, according to CNN, “scorched the grass.”
