Trump, a symbol of New York, is officially a Floridian now
Jetting off to his Mar-a-Lago estate has become a ritual for President Donald Trump. Now the beach-side property is his permanent home.
Trump has declared residency in Florida, announcing on Twitter on Thursday night that he has changed his permanent address from his Trump Tower residence in midtown Manhattan, where he has lived since the late 1980s. Trump said that although he loved his home state of New York, he has been treated “very badly” by lawmakers there and the move would be for the best.
“1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, the White House, is the place I have come to love and will stay for, hopefully, another 5 years as we MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, but my family and I will be making Palm Beach, Florida, our Permanent Residence,” Trump tweeted. “I hated having to make ... this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned. As President, I will always be there to help New York and the great people of New York. It will always have a special place in my heart!”
The president is extremely unpopular in New York, and the state’s lawmakers have made little effort to hide their disdain toward him and his conduct. The Manhattan district attorney’s office is also fighting to gain access to eight years of Trump’s tax returns as part of an investigation into hush-money payments made during his 2016 campaign, though it has met resistance by the Justice Department.
Shortly after the news of Trump’s move broke, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo tweeted: “Good riddance. It’s not like @realDonaldTrump paid taxes here anyway. ... He’s all yours, Florida.”
The move was initially reported by The New York Times hours before Trump’s tweets. The Times citeddocuments filed last month in the Palm Beach County Circuit Court that show Trump and first lady Melania Trump declaring their Mar-a-Lago address as their permanent residence.
Trump also listed his Bedminster golf club in New Jersey and the White House as secondary residences. Still, that doesn’t mean he won’t spend most of his working days as president at the White House. Though listing his New York Trump Tower address as his previous primary residence, Trump has spent only 20 days at the property since becoming president, according to The Times.
Since assuming office, Trump has spent considerably more time at his private residences than past presidents, even dubbing Mar-a-Lago as the “Winter White House.” He has hosted heads of state at the property and tried to host a G-7 Summit at his Doral Resort in Florida. He eventually changed course on hosting the gathering there after fierce public outcry and lawmakers’ accusations of violating the Constitution.
South Florida is also the nexus for a diverse cast of characters working on Trump’s reelection bid. His campaign manager, Brad Parscale, and chief pollster, Tony Fabrizio, both live in the area.
Florida has also long been a popular retirement destination for rich New Yorkers looking to escape the state’s much heavier tax policies.
