Trump angry over Mar-a-Lago renovations, sources say
Her mood clouded as soon as she entered her members-only Mar-a-Lago club, three days before Christmas, according to multiple sources. The changes to his private rooms, many of which were overseen by his wife, First Lady Melania Trump, were not to President Donald Trump's liking, and he is angry about that, according to a source familiar with the answer. of the president.
After several weeks in the works, the renovations, undertaken to make the roughly 278-square-meter space feel larger and updated in preparation for Trump's life after the White House, did not appeal to Trump's aesthetic, according to his reaction. Trump was also unhappy with other renovations to the property, the source said, not just the living space.
"I was not happy about it," said the source, who noted that several loud and one-sided conversations with the club's management took place almost immediately.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNN.
It was Melania Trump and her interior decorator, Tham Kannalikham, who selected many of the details for the renovations, and not the Mar-a-Lago staff, a fact that Trump was well aware of.
It is not the first time that the personal taste of the president collides with that of his wife. Trump was also not pleased with some of the decorative updates to Camp David, another first lady project, when she saw them over the Thanksgiving holiday, according to another source familiar with the president's reaction after the visit.
The Mar-a-Lago source noted that Trump was so displeased this week with the appearance of some of the renovations that he asked to have pieces of the decor removed, which consisted of white marble and lots of dark wood. They were quickly removed.
If the beginning of his last stay in Florida as president was difficult, the following days were very similar, as Trump looked "in a bad mood," according to the club's source, spending more time than usual behind closed doors and without socializing or talking. much as he normally does with club members and White House staff, many of whom have joined him in recent years.
"The vibe is off," said another source in Mar-a-Lago this Christmas compared to previous ones.
Trump's wandering around when or even whether he would sign a large Covid-19 relief package and a federal funding bill created a guessing game as to whether his day would be good or bad, or indifferent. . Trump was initially ready to sign the bill on Christmas Eve, according to a source familiar with the president's calendar, but chose not to do so at the last minute. On Sunday, on his way to dinner at his nearby Trump International Golf Club, the president finally signed.
Club changes
While Trump has largely ignored the ravages of Covid-19 in the country, has commented little in recent weeks, and has apparently taken a back-ground approach when hundreds of thousands of Americans are infected each day, the president has been unable to prevent the impact of the coronavirus on your beloved Mar-a-Lago sanctuary.
The week between Christmas and New Years is usually the climax of the winter season, and in Mar-a-Lago, some long-time members avoid the club.
"It's too big a risk, it's not worth it," said one member who decided not to travel to Florida this year.
However, some crowded areas and lots of people remain, adds another member who has been in contact with people currently in Mar-a-Lago.
"People go to dinner as usual," said the source, adding that there appears to be "little regard for the pandemic."
The beach club area by the pool is so crowded during the day that guests argue over available chairs, the source said.
On Monday, the Florida Department of Health released new figures for test positivity rates. Palm Beach County's rate stood at 10.38%, the highest since November 30 and an increase since December 15, which was 8.42%. The state considers anything that exceeds 5% dangerous.
A Palm Beach winter regulator said they've heard about the lack of parties and fundraisers in that wealthy enclave, and the dinner ritual of waving from table to table and exchanging kisses has all but disappeared. The mask-wearing mandate for businesses, establishments, public spaces, and restaurants in Palm Beach has been extended in Palm Beach County through January 20 and includes Mar-a-Lago, although compliance has been unpredictable at best. the cases.
The Mar-a-Lago "scene", so to speak, consists largely of Trump's audience when he is there. Club members and their guests like to marvel at meeting the President of the United States at the buffet or at a party in the ballroom. At a wedding Monday night in Mar-a-Lago, Trump made a surprise appearance, coming in to greet and congratulate the bride and groom, according to someone present at the event.
New Year's Eve party
The legendary Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party, which Trump and his family attend each year and where guests pay thousands of dollars per ticket, is still scheduled for Thursday night, said a member of Mar -a-Lago who has heard rumors that at least 500 reservations have already been confirmed. What is unclear is whether attendees will adhere to the coronavirus mitigation guidelines. At a gala earlier this month for Turning Point USA, a group of conservative students, partygoers mocked the mask and social distancing requirements, and photos from the event showed hundreds in the Mar-a-Lago ballroom.
The president has also been relegated to a smaller group of familiar faces to entertain and occupy his time during this trip to Florida. There are no foreign leaders to host, as has often been the case during his presidency, and most of the senior staff from the West Wing of the White House who usually join the trip are not there.
On Sunday, Trump did not dine with the first lady, but instead dined at a table with his children, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and Trump Jr.'s girlfriend, Kimberly Guilfoyle, according to a witness, who said Trump had a visitor. at his table from Roger Stone, one of his long-time cronies whom the president pardoned less than a week earlier. Stone entered the club wearing a face mask with the text "Trump 2020."
Trump's most frequent activity, and a respite for him, has been his morning rounds of golf, a vacation recreation that many millions of Americans have given up this year upon hearing warnings about the spread of the coronavirus.
On his way to the golf course on Tuesday, the president had time to tweet about the chaotic state of proceedings in Washington, where politicians are fighting for last-minute financial support for Americans facing the economic crisis.
"The Republican leadership only wants the path of least resistance," Trump tweeted. "Our leaders (not me, of course!) Are pathetic."
