The president of the United States, Donald Trump, has raised the possibility of converting one of his golf courses in Florida (southeast) into a "presidential retreat" similar to Camp David, in Maryland, with the idea that it could also host "important meetings" between U.S. leaders and other international leaders.
Sources from the White House cited by Europa Press have indicated that "the Government of the United States has requested that the option of developing a presidential retreat at the Trump International Golf Course in Palm Beach be analyzed for future presidents, with the aim that they can hold important meetings and use the facilities of a world-class property."
These sources have emphasized that "the property is just a few minutes from the Donald J. Trump International Airport --known until a few months ago as Palm Beach International Airport and officially renamed in July--, has no nearby buildings, has no houses along the course, has great security features, is close to law enforcement centers, and is a prestigious golf course," before underscoring that "all these are necessary features for a presidential retreat."
In a letter sent to the commissioners of Palm Beach County, Harvey Oyer, attorney for the management of the golf course, states that Trump has offered to "designate" the facilities as "a presidential golf course" and to have it "used by all former presidents, the president, and future presidents, as well as by heads of state visiting the country."
The letter, which has been accessed by the newspaper 'The Palm Beach Post', specifies that it would be the White House tenant himself who would assume the cost of the necessary works, as it would be "a gift (...) to his successors, the people of the United States, and their neighbors in Palm Beach County."
"It should be noted that President Trump will have left office before this proposed project can be completed, so it is a gift for his successors," emphasizes the document, which, according to the county administrator, Joseph Abruzzo, is being taken seriously by local authorities.
Abruzzo has indicated to the aforementioned newspaper that the initiative represents "an extraordinary and historic opportunity" and has stressed that county authorities hope to obtain more information and "thoroughly explore what this proposal could mean" for Palm Beach.
"It is likely that this will further consolidate Palm Beach County's position on the national and international stage for future generations," he added, also showing his willingness to work "under the direction of the Board of Commissioners" and "collaborate with Trump and his team" in the analysis of the project, which for now does not have a defined schedule or further public details.
In the same vein, Oyer emphasized that "just as Camp David, Windsor Castle, or the Élysée Palace are known worldwide, so will the presidential golf course in Palm Beach County." "This would further consolidate Palm Beach County as one of the most recognized brands and destinations in the world," he highlighted in his letter, quoted by the newspaper 'The Washington Post'.
The proposal would not be the first with this purpose in the history of Palm Beach. Businesswoman Marjorie Merriweather Post, owner of Mar-a-Lago and responsible for its name, already aspired for the estate to function as a winter residence for presidents. Upon her death in 1973, she bequeathed the property to the government, but the authorities considered that maintenance was too expensive and returned the estate to the family's heritage.
The option of a second retreat in the style of Camp David
Mar-a-Lago, which is part of the National Historic Landmark of the United States, was acquired in 1985 by Trump and transformed into a resort that the president has also used to hold high-level meetings with foreign heads of state. That function would be expanded if part of the golf course in the area finally obtains the designation of "presidential retreat" following the Camp David model.
The Camp David retreat is located in Frederick County, Maryland, about one hundred kilometers from Washington, the capital of the country. It was originally built to house officials and their families from the Works Progress Administration --created within the New Deal promoted by Franklin D. Roosevelt-- although it is technically classified as a military facility.
Currently, Camp David is the only operational presidential retreat in the United States. It was established in 1942 by Roosevelt under the name 'USS Shangri-La' and adopted its current name eleven years later when Dwight D. Eisenhower decided to rename it in honor of his father and his grandson, both named David.
The enclave has served repeatedly as a venue for summits and meetings with international leaders. Among its visitors is the former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who was the first to participate in one of these meetings in May 1973.
The presidential retreat is, however, more famous for the 1978 summit in which the Camp David Accords were signed between Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, after several days of private contacts under the auspices of then U.S. President Jimmy Carter.
From those accords emerged that both Sadat and Begin shared the Nobel Peace Prize that same year and the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel was signed in 1979, which marked the beginning of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The pact was harshly questioned by a good part of the Arab world and led to Egypt's suspension from the Arab League between 1979 and 1989.