Star Metro - Trump wants to turn Florida golf course into presidential retreat

The plan would make the Trump International Club in West Palm Beach -- where the 80-year-old billionaire often spends weekends on the fairway -- into an official sanctuary for his successors.

"The United States government has asked to look into developing a Presidential retreat at Trump International Golf Course in Palm Beach for future presidents, so they can hold important meetings and utilize the amenities of a world-class property," a White House official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The official stressed the security at Trump's course, where gunman Ryan Routh was convicted of trying to assassinate the then-presidential candidate in September 2024.

"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.

"These are features that are necessary for any Presidential retreat."

Palm Beach international airport was renamed after the city's most famous resident earlier this year.

A lawyer representing the Trump course wrote to local officials in September comparing the proposed retreat to Camp David, Windsor Castle in Britain and France's Elysee Palace, the Washington Post reported.

Trump is not a fan of Camp David, having visited the presidential bolthole in the scenic Maryland hills near Washington on only a handful of occasions during his two terms in office.

Where other presidents have made frequent journeys and hosted historic foreign summits there, Trump prefers to spend his downtime at his golf courses in Florida and New Jersey.

L.Girard--SMC