US President Donald Trump is looking to create a presidential retreat similar to Camp David at his Florida golf club, Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach. The idea, still only a proposal, comes with a notable selling point: according to a letter from the club’s attorney, the club would front construction costs and give access at “no cost to the federal government.”
What is on the table
Under the concept, the club would cover construction costs as a “gift” to Americans. It would also provide free memberships to future presidents, as well as accommodations to visiting foreign dignitaries.
A letter dated 3 September from the golf course’s attorney to the county commission in Florida lays out the details, according to USA TODAY’s Palm Beach Post. The letter says Trump offered to deem the club a “U.S. Presidential Golf Course” for presidents and visiting heads of state. It states that the club would provide access to all facilities at “no cost to the federal government.” It also says the club would front construction costs as a “gift” to Americans and local residents, and give free membership to future presidents.
Nothing in the available facts indicates that the plan has been approved or decided. It remains a proposal.
Why Palm Beach County has the final say
The golf course sits on county-owned land that is leased long term to the club, so the plan needs Palm Beach County’s blessing. Under the club’s proposal, the club would grant the county a legal right to the land needed for a presidential lodging facility, and the county would then lease it to the federal government, keeping the county as landlord. County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo has called it a potentially “remarkable and historic opportunity,” while Commissioners Joel Flores and Gregg Weiss have asked for assurances on taxpayer costs, airport operations and lease details. As of mid-October, no county vote, federal agreement, construction timeline or cost estimate has been announced, according to CBS12 and WFLX.
“This would be for all future presidents”
Speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday, October 7 (US time), Trump framed the idea as something larger than himself. “This wouldn’t be for me. This would be for all future presidents,” he said. He added that Secret Service officials first suggested the idea and that he thinks it is “a great idea.”
Asked whether he would call the retreat “Camp Donald,” “Well, it’s already called Trump International,” he replied. “It’s one of the best golf courses in the world.”
The security argument
Security is at the heart of Trump’s pitch. He said one advantage of the site is the absence of high buildings and homes looming nearby, “so you don’t have … people hiding behind windows.” In his words: “They can get maximum safety. It’s a great idea and it’ll be used a lot.”
Convenience is the other major selling point. “It’s only about two minutes away from the airport … and they could spend the weekend there, like a retreat, like a sort of Camp David retreat,” Trump said on Wednesday.
For supporters of the president, the combination is easy to appreciate: a site suggested by the agency charged with protecting presidents, built at private expense, and offered free of charge to successors regardless of party or politics. The attorney’s letter frames the construction as a “gift” to Americans.
The club: golf, a clubhouse and frequent events
The club is a 27-hole course with a luxurious clubhouse, a gift store and frequent social events, the BBC reports. It is connected to the rest of the city by ample roadways, some of which are lined with supporters or protesters when the president is there. It is also visited often by Trump’s political allies on his Florida weekends.
Camp David: rustic, guarded and out of the spotlight
The contrast with the existing presidential retreat could hardly be sharper. Camp David began as a Great Depression-era camp for federal employees, set in Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Maryland. President Franklin Roosevelt first took it over as a retreat and nicknamed it “Shangri-La.”
Officially, it is known as Naval Support Facility, Thurmont, and it is staffed by uniformed US Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Marines guard the perimeter, and the airspace is restricted. The site is not marked on national park maps, and the press is very rarely allowed in.
Camp David has hosted a number of notable gatherings:
- A 2023 summit in which President Joe Biden met Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol.
- A meeting between George W. Bush and Tony Blair in 2001.
- Barack Obama’s hosting of Eurozone leaders at the 2012 G8 summit.
Trump has used Camp David too, hosting national security meetings and other events there, including a Cabinet meeting on 31 July 2026.
What critics and observers note
The BBC places the proposal in a wider context. It notes that Trump has sought to cement his legacy through changes to the White House, including gold leaf accents in the Oval Office, the demolition of the East Wing and the construction of a ballroom. It also notes that he is pushing plans for a triumphal arch in Washington. The BBC observed that Trump has frequently used national security and safety arguments to justify projects in Washington.
That is a fair point for readers to weigh, and the president’s supporters would answer that this proposal comes with an explicit offer to bear the costs privately. Whether the Secret Service-suggested security rationale carries the day, and whether the arrangement is ultimately taken up, remains to be seen. For now it is an offer on the table, and the president has made clear he sees it as a long-term benefit for the presidency.
The bottom line
Stripped to its essentials, the idea is straightforward: a privately funded retreat for current and future presidents and their guests, said to have been first suggested by Secret Service officials, near an airport and away from tall buildings. The club would absorb the cost, the federal government would pay nothing for access, and future presidents would get free membership. Critics may see another chapter in a legacy-building push; supporters will see a no-cost security upgrade for the office. Either way, it is not a done deal, and the president has said “it’ll be used a lot.”
Sources
- https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9gkvxjvl7v3o
- CBS12: Trump touts West Palm golf club as possible Camp David-style retreat
- WFLX: Trump proposes Camp David-style presidential retreat
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