Trump Backs Presidential Retreat Proposal at Florida Golf Course

President Donald Trump said Wednesday he supports a proposal to build a presidential retreat at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, and designate its course for use by presidents. Trump said the military and Secret Service suggested the idea, while a lawyer for the club has asked Palm Beach County to provide land for the project.

“This was suggested to me by the military and Secret Service,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “They asked if I’d be willing to do it, and I said I would be.” He called it “a great idea” and said the retreat would be “like sort of a Camp David retreat” for future presidents.

An attorney for Trump International Golf Club proposed making the course the “permanent United States Presidential Golf Course” in a letter sent last month to the Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners, NBC News reported. The Palm Beach Post first reported the letter.

The county owns the land on which the course sits. In the letter, attorney Harvey Oyer asked the county to give some of that land to the federal government for a presidential lodging facility. The club would work with the government on its design and pay to build it, according to NBC News. The total cost of the proposed project has not been disclosed.

“Just as Camp David, Windsor Palace or the Elysee Palace are known worldwide, so too will the Presidential Golf Course in Palm Beach County,” Oyer wrote. His letter said the facility could be used by past, current and future U.S. presidents, as well as visiting heads of state, regardless of party affiliation.

A White House official said the federal government had asked to explore developing a retreat at the property where future presidents could “hold important meetings and utilize the amenities of a world-class property.” The official’s statement did not identify who first proposed the retreat or specify whose permission the government was seeking, CBS News reported.

The official cited the course’s proximity to the Donald J. Trump International Airport and law enforcement, along with its security features and lack of nearby buildings or houses. Trump made a similar case, saying houses near a presidential retreat would require room inspections.

“This wouldn’t be for me. This would be for all future presidents,” Trump said. He described the property as “one of the best golf courses in the world” and predicted the retreat would be “used a lot.” Asked by a Fox News reporter whether it would be called “Camp Donald,” he replied, “It’s already called Trump International.”

Trump plays at the West Palm Beach course when he stays at his Mar-a-Lago resort. He is scheduled to host the G20 summit in December at another of his properties, Trump National Doral Miami. The Secret Service has paid the Trump Organization hundreds of thousands of dollars to stay at Trump properties during his presidency, CBS News reported.