Trump Unveils Bonkers Plan to Turn His Golf Course Into Camp David
The president is considering the proposal a “gift” to his successors.
Dennis Schneidler/Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
Donald Trump is planning to turn one of his Florida golf courses into a retreat for future presidents, akin to the sprawling Camp David.
The 80-year-old president has put in place plans to convert his private Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach into a summer holiday retreat and a venue to host international summits and foreign leaders.
In a letter to Palm Beach County officials, Harvey Oyer, a lawyer representing the Trump course, said the move makes sense because the resort is just as famous worldwide as “Camp David, Windsor Castle, or the Elysee Palace.”
The plan would involve the federal government being granted part of the property, while the rest still operates as a golf resort.
MANDEL NGAN/Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images/Oversight committee.
“It would further cement Palm Beach County as one of the most recognizable brands and destinations in the world,” Oyer told The Washington Post, adding that a name for the retreat has not been discussed yet.
A White House official confirmed to the Daily Beast that the government has asked to look into developing a presidential retreat at Trump International Golf Course so future presidents can “hold important meetings and utilize the amenities of a world-class property.”
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“The property is minutes away from the Donald J. Trump International Airport, does not have buildings looming, does not have houses along the course, has great security features, is close to law enforcement, and happens to be a highly-rated golf course,” the official said. “These are features that are necessary for any presidential retreat.”
If the plans are approved, the Trump family is expected to continue to operate the Palm Beach golf resort and will benefit financially if future presidents use it.
Christopher Beckett/NurPhoto via Getty Images
In 2024, Trump was the target of an assassination attempt at his golf course in West Palm Beach, in which a man armed with an AK-47-style rifle and a scope hid in a bush and waited for him for hours.
Any future presidents wanting to use the golf resort as a retreat would get another bonus: comped memberships to the Trump club.
Oyer’s letter to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners last month, first reported by The Palm Beach Post, noted that construction on such a project would take so long that Trump will be out of office by the time it is complete.
Presidents have traditionally used Camp David as a retreat and to host crucial talks and summits.
Michael Reynolds-Pool/Getty Images
Oyer added that, therefore, the proposed deal from Trump is “a gift to his successors.”
If the plans are approved, the Trump family is still expected to operate the golf resort in Palm Beach and will continue to benefit financially if future presidents use it. A local official said the county is taking the proposal seriously.
Trump does not visit Camp David in Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Maryland, as often as his predecessors. Instead, the president largely opts to stay at his properties in Florida and New York or golf resorts when he wants to get out of Washington, D.C.
President Bill Clinton famously held the Middle East peace summit at Camp David in 2000 with Ehud Barak and Yasser Arafat.
Ralph Alswang/Newsmakers via Getty Images
Trump did use Camp David to host a Cabinet meeting in July.
The Daily Beast has contacted the Trump Organization for comment.
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