President Trump wants the government to turn his private Florida golf club into a second Camp David, and Palm Beach County just agreed to start talking about it.
Quick Take
- Palm Beach County commissioners told staff to begin reviewing Trump’s offer to designate Trump International Golf Club a “U.S. Presidential Golf Course.”
- A September 3 letter from Trump’s attorney says the club would host “all past, current, and future” presidents and visiting foreign leaders.
- The club sits on county-owned land the Trump Organization leases for $88,338 a month under a 99-year deal tied to a 1990s lawsuit.
- One commissioner warned taxpayers must not bear any cost and raised concerns about disruptions to nearby airport flight paths.
County Staff Ordered To Study Trump’s Offer
Palm Beach County has directed staff to look into President Trump’s offer to build a Camp David-style retreat at Trump International Golf Club. The move follows a letter attorney Harvey Oyer sent county commissioners on September 3, proposing the club become a permanent federal site for presidential and diplomatic use, regardless of who holds office next.
The letter states the West Palm Beach course would be “utilized by all past, current, and future United States Presidents and visiting foreign heads of state.” That language frames the club not as a one-time gift to Trump, but as a lasting government institution meant to outlast his presidency.
A Club Built On County-Owned Land
Trump does not own the ground beneath his golf club. Palm Beach County owns the 214 acres near Palm Beach International Airport and leases it to the Trump Organization under a 99-year agreement dating to the 1990s. That deal settled a lawsuit Trump filed over airport noise near Mar-a-Lago, and it still requires monthly rent of $88,338.
Oyer’s proposal suggests a new ownership structure. The county would sign a lease with a federal agency, making the county a landlord over the retreat while the Trump Organization keeps running the course day to day. Commissioners have not approved anything yet; staff are only beginning formal talks on the idea.
Local Leaders Flag Cost And Traffic Concerns
Commissioner Joel Flores said any deal must leave local taxpayers with no financial burden. He also raised concerns about long-term disruptions to flight patterns at the nearby airport, since a permanent high-security presidential site could affect air traffic rules in the area.
Trump already spends heavy time in Palm Beach County. An analysis found he logged roughly 419 hours, or about 17 and a half days, there during his first 100 days in office this term, mostly between Mar-a-Lago and the golf club. A formal retreat designation would cement that pattern into permanent government policy rather than routine presidential travel.
Echoes Of A Recurring Governance Question
This is not the first time Trump’s Palm Beach properties have raised questions about mixing private business with public office. In 2024, the county considered whether it could cut ties with the club after the January 6 Capitol riot, but lawyers found nothing in the lease allowing termination.
BREAKING: President Trump reveals to @pdoocy his potential plans to build a presidential retreat similar to Camp David on part of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach.
Trump explains that the military and Secret Service suggested the idea because of the property's… pic.twitter.com/jKKgcEcOsj
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 7, 2026
The proposal fits a broader pattern Americans across the political spectrum have grown wary of: government functions routed through privately controlled, commercially linked venues. Critics on the left and right alike have long questioned arrangements where a sitting president’s business stands to gain from official government use, regardless of party.
For now, the plan remains a proposal under review, not a signed agreement. Palm Beach County staff will study the offer and report back to commissioners, who must still decide whether to accept Oyer’s suggested lease structure before any Camp David-style retreat becomes official government policy.
Sources:
mediaite.com, palmbeachpost.com, therealdeal.com, politicalwire.com, traded.co, ajc.com
