Donald Trump is not welcome in Mar-a-Lago
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The now-ex-president could face legal hurdles as he seeks to relocate to his private Palm Beach club on a permanent basis. He would violate an agreement signed in 1993
Before flying to his residence in Mar-a-Lago, Fla., Donald Trump, who boycotted Joe Biden's Inauguration Day, hoped for some sort of grandiose ceremony. He had to settle for a departure video, like his wife, and the couple had only a few worshipers at the base of the helicopter, then Air Force One. Minimalist "farewells", in a capital that looks like an entrenched camp. But above all: the reception is not really spectacular in Mar-a-Lago either. Neighbors don't take a positive view of his presence.
A letter to the Palm Beach authorities
Now deprived of his presidential powers, threatened with legal action, released by economic partners and in debt, Donald Trump will have to get used to a new standard of living. And, to make matters worse, on the side of Palm Beach where his private club is located - until now he called it his "Winter White House" -, in the middle of luxury properties and palm trees, not all are not ready to welcome him with open arms. In mid-December, residents split a letter to the mayor of Palm Beach, as well as the Secret Service, which will continue to ensure the protection of the couple, to recall that Donald Trump had promised, in a signed agreement in 1993, that he would not be living in Mar-a-Lago.
This was when he transformed Mar-a-Lago, bought in 1985, into a private club, mainly for financial and fiscal reasons. The agreement specifies that club members, including Trump, cannot spend more than 21 days a year and never more than seven consecutive days.
So, residence or club? Donald Trump could face legal hurdles even though he made Florida his fiscal home a few months ago by deciding to leave New York. In the letter obtained by the Washington Post, the lawyer for the DeMoss family, who heads an international missionary foundation, cites an "embarrassing situation" if the city does not clarify the situation with Donald Trump. The latter, if he himself has not already taken the lead, may be forced to move elsewhere. Further frustration, as he continues to claim that the election was "rigged" and to fail to recognize the legitimacy of Joe Biden's election.
Construction of a helipad
For those who live near Mar-a-Lago, Donald Trump is necessarily a bulky neighbor. If only because of the security features it provokes. As the Washington Post reminds us, even before being president he had robbed local officials in Palm Beach for breaking certain rules. In particular, he hoisted a flag pole to a height beyond what was permitted. Above all, he built a helipad, which was not provided for in the 1993 agreement, which he tried to modify on several occasions. Will he really be able to live year round in Mar-a-Lago? And besides, does he really want it?
So far, both Palm Beach City Hall and Donald Trump have remained unclear on what happened. But according to the Post's calculations, during his presidency he visited his private club about 30 times, spending 130 days there anyway. Well more than the 21 days per year provided for in the agreement. Proof that he seems to ignore promises made in 1993.
In the meantime, his last days, Donald Trump, deprived of his usual profiles on social networks, with a popularity rate at the lowest and targeted by a trial in "impeachment", occupied them in announcing a measure immediately rejected by Joe Biden - the lifting of the ban on entry into the United States for European and Brazilian travelers because of the covid. But it was above all the question of forgiveness that occupied his mind until the end. Particularly the question of whether he dared to take the step of pardoning his own children and granting himself an autopardon. He was finally "content" to pardon 73 people, including the sulphurous Steve Bannon, his former strategic advisor, sacked and become a time pariah, accused of having embezzled funds allegedly intended for the construction of a wall at the border. with Mexico.
He also had time to reflect on his last words as president. From the Andrews base in Maryland, he blurted out, just before boarding Air Force One one last time: “I'll be back. In one way or another."
