Trump proposes Camp David-style presidential retreat at his private Florida golf club

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he wants to develop one of his Florida golf courses into a presidential retreat where his successors can spend quiet weekends on the greens, describing it as "sort of a Camp David " that he says would already have many of the security features needed to host presidents and world leaders. The proposal for the retreat on Trump's private golf course in West Palm Beach would comingle the presidency with Trump's business ventures beyond his time in office, and is the the latest example of Trump seeking ways to leave his imprint on the presidency. "It's a great idea, and it'll be used a lot," Trump said, claiming it was suggested by the United States Secret Service.

"It seems that all presidents play golf." The plan has already been submitted to local officials. Trump, an avid golfer, rattled off the benefits of the property a short drive from his Mar-a-Lago home during an unrelated event in the Oval Office, noting that it's close to an airport and has some distance from residential homes and tall buildings, which pose security risks. He did not mention that the golf course was the site of an unsuccessful attempt on his life in 2024.

Trump was playing at the Trump International Golf Club during a break from the campaign trail when a Secret Service agent spotted an armed man in the trees lining the club's perimeter fence. The man was arrested after a chase and later convicted of trying to kill Trump, and was sentenced to life in prison. Past presidents have used Camp David, a rustic compound in Maryland, as a weekend retreat and a place to host presidential meetings.

Trump has spent less time there, often opting for his own properties, including golf clubs in Florida, New Jersey and Virginia. Trump's proposal follows other projects by the lifelong real estate developer to build a White House ballroom, gild the Oval Office, erect a triumphal arch, renovate the Kennedy Center, refurbish the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool and rebuild a golf course in East Potomac Park. He has also begun planning a future presidential library in a Miami skyscraper.

In a letter to Palm Beach County commissioners last month, first reported by the Palm Beach Post, an attorney who represents the golf course said Trump is offering to designate it as a "U.S. Presidential Golf Course." "Just as Camp David, Windsor Castle, or the Elysée Palace are known worldwide, so too will the Presidential Golf Course in Palm Beach County," Harvey Oyer said in the letter. Palm Beach County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo said in a statement that local officials are eager to explore what this "historic opportunity" could mean to the community.

"This likely would further cement Palm Beach County's place on the national and international stage for generations to come," Abruzzo said. Oyer's letter said the West Palm Beach golf course could be used by current and former presidents, along with visiting foreign heads of state. The Trump Organization owns the golf club but leases the land from the county, which would need to approve any changes.