Where is President Trump going to live? Yahoo News Explains
On Jan. 20, President-elect Joe Biden will move into the White House — and that means President Trump is going to have to find somewhere else to live. Since he changed his legal address from Trump Tower in New York City to his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla., some have assumed that’s where he'll stay after leaving Washington. There's just one problem: per an agreement with the town of Palm Beach, no one is actually allowed to live at Mar-a-Lago full time. Yahoo News explains why.
Video Transcript
[MUSIC PLAYING]
SAM MATTHEWS: On January 20, President-elect Joe Biden will take the oath of office to become the 46th president of the United States, and it's not exactly clear how the current inhabitant of the White House will mark his departure. But, one way or another, he's going to have to leave.
DONALD TRUMP: Oh, certainly I will. Certainly I will, and you know that.
SAM MATTHEWS: And that raises an interesting question-- where's he gonna go? For some, the answer seems obvious.
MICHAEL STRAHAN: The born and bred New Yorker is breaking up with his home state, officially declaring himself a Florida resident now, claiming he was treated very badly by political leaders in New York.
SAM MATTHEWS: In late 2019 Trump changed his official residence from Trump Tower New York to his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida. He's even voted from that address in the most recent Florida primary and the general election. Seems like a done deal, right? Well, there's just one problem. No one is actually allowed to live there full time, not even Donald Trump. And here's why.
Trump first purchased Mar-a-Lago as a home back in the '80s, but when he found himself in some financial trouble in the early '90s, his original plan was to divide the land into smaller properties. However, the city council rejected that plan, so he decided to convert it into a private club, charging membership fees instead of just selling it off.
DONALD TRUMP: It's not really fair to have one person carrying the burden of this incredible house.
SAM MATTHEWS: But that deal came with rules set forth by the town of Palm Beach, which Trump agreed to in a written contract. And one of those rules is that no member is allowed to stay there for more than seven days at a time or more than 21 days in a single calendar year.
This wasn't really a problem for Trump prior to 2016. He still lived in New York, and Mar-a-Lago was a place for him to spend the holidays with family, play a few rounds of golf or tennis, put in some face time with celebrities and other VIPs, and then go right back home. The membership fees cover the costs, and it was a pretty good deal.
But as president, Trump has pushed that 21-day limit. It's hard to track, but as of November 2019, he had spent at least 133 days there while in office. There are also rules governing things like noise, traffic, and use of the waterfront. So, while the town of Palm Beach has made exceptions for temporary helipad, street closures, and moorings, all that stuff is supposed to be removed once Trump leaves office.
Now, it's highly unlikely that, if President Trump does decide to make Mar-a-Lago his primary residence, the town of Palm Beach would serve an eviction notice. But they could revoke the club's operating license, meaning it would no longer be able to generate income.
So what's Trump going to do? He could fight the town of Palm Beach, but it's more likely he'll just purchase something nearby. In fact, there's a really nice six-bedroom home listed for $12 million just down the street. And if none of that works out, well, he's got no shortage of other buildings with his name on them.
