Trump backs proposal for permanent presidential retreat at his privately owned golf club

Response / context

According to local reporting that quotes a September 3 letter from the club's lawyer, the Trump-owned club sits on county-owned land under a long-term lease. The proposal says the club would pay to construct presidential lodging, provide federal access to its facilities at no cost and create a structure under which Palm Beach County would lease the retreat area to the federal government. Palm Beach Post reporting says the Trump Organization would continue to control the wider club and that the location, cost estimate, lease extension and federal-agency requirements remain unresolved. Trump said the facility would be for future presidents rather than himself and would not be completed before he leaves office. Reuters said it could not independently confirm the letter's contents, and the Secret Service and Defense Department did not immediately respond to its requests for comment. No final county agreement, federal acceptance, construction approval or finding of an ethics violation was identified in the reviewed sources.