President Donald Trump said a new retreat he hopes to create for future White House occupants at one of his Florida golf courses would be safe, secluded and similar to Camp David, the storied presidential getaway in Maryland.
Although details of the proposal, first disclosed by The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network, remain sparse, the concept centers around Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, and has received positive reaction from local officials. Trump said it's "a great idea and it'll be used a lot."
The property is one of three golf courses Trump owns in the Sunshine State.
“Everybody wants to go there, and the advantages, this was suggested to me by the military and (U.S.) Secret Service, there are no high buildings
looming over it, there are no houses on it," Trump told reporters on Oct 7 at the Oval Office. "Seems that all presidents play golf.”
In a statement to the Post last month, Palm Beach CountyAdministrator Joe Abruzzo called the offer a “remarkable and historic opportunity.”
Trump told reporters the location has another key advantage: "maximum safety."
“It’s about as safe as they could possibly get. It’s only about two minutes away from the airport so they literally would be at that site and they could spend a weekend there, like a retreat, like sort of a Camp David retreat… this wouldn’t be for me, this would be for all future presidents," he said.
Future presidents would receive free membership, plan says
First outlined in a Sept. 3 letter from the golf course's attorney Harvey Oyer to the county commission, the notice says Trump offered to designate the club as a "U.S. Presidential Golf Course" to be used by presidents and visiting heads of state as a place of statesmanship.
According to the letter, Trump International would provide access to all club facilities at "no cost to the federal government" and cooperate with the General Services Administration and Secret Service to design an appropriate presidential lodging at the property.
Under the proposal, future presidents would receive membership at no cost, and Trump International would front the cost of construction as a "gift" to Americans and Trump's fellow Palm Beach County residents.
Oyer told the Post he was looking forward to beginning discussions with the county.
"It would make Palm Beach County a focal point for future presidents and visiting heads of state," he said. "So it seems like a win-win for everyone.
When asked by reporters whether he’d call it “Camp Donald” Trump replied, "Well, it’s already called Trump International. It’s one of the best golf courses in the world."
Contributing: Antonio Fins and Mike Diamond with the Palm Beach Post
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Everybody wants to go': Trump offers FL golf club as presidential site
