Trump Floats Palm Beach Golf Course as a Future 'Camp David' for Presidents

President Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. Secret Service and the military suggested turning Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach into a presidential getaway for future presidents, CBS News reported. He described it as "like sort of a Camp David retreat."

The cost of the proposed development, and who would pay for it, has not been disclosed, according to CBS News. The outlet also noted that a White House statement did not say whose idea the retreat was originally or whose permission is being sought.

What Trump and the White House said

Speaking during an unrelated Oval Office event, Trump said the idea came from the military and the Secret Service. He pointed to the course's setting, saying no tall buildings loom over it and no houses sit on it, which would spare agents from having to inspect rooms. He added that it seems all presidents play golf.

A White House official said the U.S. government has asked to look into developing a retreat at the course so future presidents can hold important meetings and use the amenities of a high-end property. The official said the site is minutes from the Donald J. Trump International Airport, has good security features, is close to law enforcement and is a highly rated golf course. The official described these as features any presidential retreat needs.

How the idea surfaced

• Before Wednesday: The Palm Beach Post first reported that an attorney for the golf course sent a letter to Palm Beach County commissioners. The letter offered to designate the club as a presidential retreat that could also host foreign heads of state, according to CBS News. The sources do not give a date for the letter.
• Wednesday: Trump publicly described the idea in the Oval Office, and a White House official issued a statement saying the government had asked to look into it.
• December: Trump is scheduled to be involved in an event with world leaders at a different property, Trump National Doral Miami, per CBS News. The source text for that item is incomplete.

Why it matters: public money and presidential businesses

The proposal involves a property owned by the president's company, and the sources leave open who would finance any development. Taxpayers could be affected if government funds were used, but the reports do not say whether that is planned.

CBS News noted that the Secret Service has paid the Trump Organization hundreds of thousands of dollars to stay at the president's properties during his presidency. That context shows that federal spending already flows to Trump-owned sites in connection with his travel and protection.

Camp David, the comparison Trump used, is the existing presidential retreat. The sources do not say whether any change to that arrangement is being considered.

What remains unclear

Several basics are unanswered in the reporting. The sources do not say which agency would lead the effort, what approvals are needed, how the retreat would operate, or what the timeline might be. The letter to county commissioners suggests local officials may have a role, but the reports do not describe that role. Claims that the military and Secret Service proposed the site come from Trump and the White House; the sources contain no comment from either agency.

Source: CBS News