Mar-a-Lago is Closing Soon

From Town & Country

President Trump's trips to Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach, have been so regular that last week a website dedicated to tracking his visits was launched.

Photo credit: Getty
Photo credit: Getty

But they may be coming to an end soon - at least until the fall. The main club closes for the season on Mother's Day, May 14. While the president could certainly visit after that (he has a private wing in the house), it seems unlikely that he would continue to go after much of the staff has left for the season.

According to the Palm Beach Daily News, his visits might cease as soon as this weekend: the Federal Aviation Administration historically announces flight restrictions based on Trump's travel plans by mid-week, and so far, no such announcements have been made.

The club shuts down in May, one longtime Palm Beach resident says, because its members have already started leaving town.

"The kind of people who would support full formal dinner service in the main house start leaving after Easter and are definitely gone by Mother's Day," says Steven Stolman, a T&C contributor and former president of Scalamandré. "The car carriers have already begun to show up on South Ocean Boulevard, loading up the Bentleys for the journey north."

In addition, the "Presidential Visit Seasonal Traffic Mitigation Plan" outlined on the Palm Beach town website runs through May 1, which suggests Trump's final visit to the club this season could come before the end of the month.

As for the website monitoring his visits? IsTrumpatMaraLago.org may need to take a brief hiatus - though only until Halloween, when Mar-a-Lago traditionally reopens. Launched by The Center for American Progress, it features an estimation of how many tax dollars have been spent on his trips there, and a comparison of what else that money could cover (such as Penn Grants or school lunches). So far, the site says, Trump's seven trips have cost taxpayers an estimated $25 million.

You Might Also Like