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| Trump Sidelines Camp David for Mar-a-Lago | Trump Sidelines Camp David for Mar-a-Lago |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| It’s clear that President Trump prefers the pink-hued glamour of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to the woodsy charms of Camp David, the secluded traditional presidential retreat in Maryland. | It’s clear that President Trump prefers the pink-hued glamour of his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida to the woodsy charms of Camp David, the secluded traditional presidential retreat in Maryland. |
| Before winning the presidential election, he told a reporter: | Before winning the presidential election, he told a reporter: |
| Mr. Trump has flown on Air Force One to the club in Palm Beach, Fla., for weekend retreats three times since entering the White House. He is expected to return again this weekend. But he has made zero trips to Camp David, a roughly 30-minute ride on Marine One from the White House. | |
| At this point in their presidencies, Barack Obama had visited Camp David once, while George W. Bush had traveled there three times. During their two terms in office, Mr. Obama racked up 39 visits over 93 days, and Mr. Bush had 149 visits over 487 days. | |
| When it comes to running the country or carving out time for a respite, there are perks and drawbacks to both Mar-a-Lago and Camp David. Here’s how they stack up. | When it comes to running the country or carving out time for a respite, there are perks and drawbacks to both Mar-a-Lago and Camp David. Here’s how they stack up. |
| It comes down to the age-old question: mountains or beach? | It comes down to the age-old question: mountains or beach? |
| Camp David had a humbling start. Officially a Navy installation, it was built by the Works Progress Administration and opened in 1938 as Camp Hi-Catoctin, 180 acres of public land set aside as a destination for government employees. | Camp David had a humbling start. Officially a Navy installation, it was built by the Works Progress Administration and opened in 1938 as Camp Hi-Catoctin, 180 acres of public land set aside as a destination for government employees. |
| It was not used by a president until 1942, when Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to escape the muggy climate of Washington, which had taken a toll on his sinuses. The Secret Service scouted for quick getaways within 100 miles of Washington and settled on the site on Maryland’s Catoctin Mountain. The conversion cost back then: $18,650, according to the National Park Service. | It was not used by a president until 1942, when Franklin D. Roosevelt wanted to escape the muggy climate of Washington, which had taken a toll on his sinuses. The Secret Service scouted for quick getaways within 100 miles of Washington and settled on the site on Maryland’s Catoctin Mountain. The conversion cost back then: $18,650, according to the National Park Service. |
| The weather is about 10 degrees cooler there than in Washington. The property has cabins, trails, a swimming pool and many, many trees. The president sleeps in the Aspen Lodge. Roosevelt took one look at the site and named it Shangri-La. | The weather is about 10 degrees cooler there than in Washington. The property has cabins, trails, a swimming pool and many, many trees. The president sleeps in the Aspen Lodge. Roosevelt took one look at the site and named it Shangri-La. |
| President Harry S. Truman made the camp the official presidential retreat in 1945. But it was President Dwight D. Eisenhower who “made it a household name,” according to the Eisenhower Presidential Library. | President Harry S. Truman made the camp the official presidential retreat in 1945. But it was President Dwight D. Eisenhower who “made it a household name,” according to the Eisenhower Presidential Library. |
| Eisenhower renamed it in 1953 in honor of his 5-year-old grandson Dwight David Eisenhower II. | Eisenhower renamed it in 1953 in honor of his 5-year-old grandson Dwight David Eisenhower II. |
| Successive presidents have used the retreat to write, meet with top advisers, conduct global diplomacy and forge a historic peace accord. In 1974, The New York Times wrote that the property’s seclusion was its main attraction: It “has provided eight American presidents and their families with perhaps the nearest thing to true privacy that they can know during their terms in public life and in the public eye.” | Successive presidents have used the retreat to write, meet with top advisers, conduct global diplomacy and forge a historic peace accord. In 1974, The New York Times wrote that the property’s seclusion was its main attraction: It “has provided eight American presidents and their families with perhaps the nearest thing to true privacy that they can know during their terms in public life and in the public eye.” |
| Mar-a-Lago, on the other hand, is a 126-room, sun-dappled Mediterranean estate on 20 acres between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The property, costing $8 million, opened in 1927 as the palatial winter residence of Majorie Merriweather Post, the heiress to General Foods. | Mar-a-Lago, on the other hand, is a 126-room, sun-dappled Mediterranean estate on 20 acres between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. The property, costing $8 million, opened in 1927 as the palatial winter residence of Majorie Merriweather Post, the heiress to General Foods. |
| On Ms. Post’s death, in 1973, Mar-a-Lago was willed to the federal government and presented as a possible presidential retreat. President Richard M. Nixon visited the Palm Beach estate to scout it out, but the property was returned to the Post Foundation because of concerns it was too costly to maintain ($1 million a year) and too difficult to secure (it was in the flight path to Palm Beach International Airport). | On Ms. Post’s death, in 1973, Mar-a-Lago was willed to the federal government and presented as a possible presidential retreat. President Richard M. Nixon visited the Palm Beach estate to scout it out, but the property was returned to the Post Foundation because of concerns it was too costly to maintain ($1 million a year) and too difficult to secure (it was in the flight path to Palm Beach International Airport). |
| The foundation sold the property to Mr. Trump in 1986, who turned it into a private club in 1995. The property includes a tunnel for guests to travel to the beach (and underneath Ocean Boulevard) and a private 100-foot-by-50-foot pool. | The foundation sold the property to Mr. Trump in 1986, who turned it into a private club in 1995. The property includes a tunnel for guests to travel to the beach (and underneath Ocean Boulevard) and a private 100-foot-by-50-foot pool. |
| * Winner for historical significance: Camp David. | * Winner for historical significance: Camp David. |
| We’ll cut to the chase: You are not going to visit Camp David. If you search online for how to get to the site, you’ll most likely stumble upon a site that says cabins can be booked for $1,200 for a weekend. Ignore it. It’s a parody site. The retreat is closed to the public. | We’ll cut to the chase: You are not going to visit Camp David. If you search online for how to get to the site, you’ll most likely stumble upon a site that says cabins can be booked for $1,200 for a weekend. Ignore it. It’s a parody site. The retreat is closed to the public. |
| You may not be able to get within shouting distance of the president at Camp David. But by joining Mar-a-Lago for a $200,000 membership fee, you can get fairly close to President Trump. You may even be able to watch while White House officials, sitting feet from you, work by the light of their cellphones to respond to an international crisis. | You may not be able to get within shouting distance of the president at Camp David. But by joining Mar-a-Lago for a $200,000 membership fee, you can get fairly close to President Trump. You may even be able to watch while White House officials, sitting feet from you, work by the light of their cellphones to respond to an international crisis. |
| And you can take pictures. | And you can take pictures. |
| Clubgoers have witnessed Mr. Trump dining at the club, meeting with the leader of Japan and, most astonishingly, huddling in plain sight with his aides as they grappled with how the United States should respond to a missile test by North Korea. | Clubgoers have witnessed Mr. Trump dining at the club, meeting with the leader of Japan and, most astonishingly, huddling in plain sight with his aides as they grappled with how the United States should respond to a missile test by North Korea. |
| If you cannot afford the hefty membership fee, you may know a well-heeled friend who is getting married at Mar-a-Lago and snare an invitation to the celebration. | If you cannot afford the hefty membership fee, you may know a well-heeled friend who is getting married at Mar-a-Lago and snare an invitation to the celebration. |
| * Winner for accessibility: Mar-a-Lago. | * Winner for accessibility: Mar-a-Lago. |
| Camp David has a seemingly endless number of options to escape the whirlwind pace of the White House or the noise of protesters in Washington. | Camp David has a seemingly endless number of options to escape the whirlwind pace of the White House or the noise of protesters in Washington. |
| Mr. Obama, for instance, shot skeet and water guns, and played pool and basketball. | Mr. Obama, for instance, shot skeet and water guns, and played pool and basketball. |
| Mr. Bush had bike trails installed so that he could ride in private. Presidents Gerald R. Ford and George H.W. Bush played tennis. | Mr. Bush had bike trails installed so that he could ride in private. Presidents Gerald R. Ford and George H.W. Bush played tennis. |
| Mar-a-Lago is not short on amenities: It offers a spa and a salon and popular sports of yesteryear like bridge (classes are offered by “a certified master instructor”) and croquet. | Mar-a-Lago is not short on amenities: It offers a spa and a salon and popular sports of yesteryear like bridge (classes are offered by “a certified master instructor”) and croquet. |
| The croquet court is described on the club’s website in Trumpian terms: “Boasting one of the most beautiful lawns in the country, the Mar-a-Lago Club venue will not only challenge both mind and body, but will also add a sense of serenity so seldom found in competitive sports.” | The croquet court is described on the club’s website in Trumpian terms: “Boasting one of the most beautiful lawns in the country, the Mar-a-Lago Club venue will not only challenge both mind and body, but will also add a sense of serenity so seldom found in competitive sports.” |
| But the club also affords proximity to places where you can play that most freighted of geopolitical games: golf. Trump National golf courses are nearby in Jupiter and West Palm Beach. | But the club also affords proximity to places where you can play that most freighted of geopolitical games: golf. Trump National golf courses are nearby in Jupiter and West Palm Beach. |
| * Winner for perks: Mar-a-Lago edges out Camp David because even if croquet isn’t our speed, the wonders of the Sunshine State are still available. | * Winner for perks: Mar-a-Lago edges out Camp David because even if croquet isn’t our speed, the wonders of the Sunshine State are still available. |
| Even before Mr. Trump called Mar-a-Lago the “Southern White House,” the exclusive for-profit club was not easily accessible to the public. | Even before Mr. Trump called Mar-a-Lago the “Southern White House,” the exclusive for-profit club was not easily accessible to the public. |
| It has high walls, which date to when Ms. Post owned the property, and a security gate. Now, when the president visits, roads are blocked off, the Coast Guard patrols the shoreline, a no-fly zone is enacted, and the Secret Service is deployed. | It has high walls, which date to when Ms. Post owned the property, and a security gate. Now, when the president visits, roads are blocked off, the Coast Guard patrols the shoreline, a no-fly zone is enacted, and the Secret Service is deployed. |
| Mar-a-Lago neighbors are fretting about the logistics headaches and potential loss of revenue whenever the president visits. | Mar-a-Lago neighbors are fretting about the logistics headaches and potential loss of revenue whenever the president visits. |
| The security at Camp David is fairly straightforward: It is surrounded by maximum-security fencing. | The security at Camp David is fairly straightforward: It is surrounded by maximum-security fencing. |
| More important, the site is also known as Naval Support Facility Thurmont, which sums up its level of protection. Members of the Navy and the Marines are permanently stationed there. | More important, the site is also known as Naval Support Facility Thurmont, which sums up its level of protection. Members of the Navy and the Marines are permanently stationed there. |
| * Winner for seclusion and security: Camp David. | * Winner for seclusion and security: Camp David. |
| Presidents have hosted royalty and many foreign leaders at Camp David, as well as top advisers and cabinet members. Visitors stay in one of the many cabins on the property. | Presidents have hosted royalty and many foreign leaders at Camp David, as well as top advisers and cabinet members. Visitors stay in one of the many cabins on the property. |
| Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met there during World War II. In 1959, at the height of the Cold War, Eisenhower hosted Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. | Roosevelt and Winston Churchill met there during World War II. In 1959, at the height of the Cold War, Eisenhower hosted Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. |
| In September 1978, through the intervention of President Jimmy Carter, the retreat was the site of a historic peace agreement (the Camp David Accords) between President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel. | In September 1978, through the intervention of President Jimmy Carter, the retreat was the site of a historic peace agreement (the Camp David Accords) between President Anwar Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menachem Begin of Israel. |
| Mr. Obama hosted a meeting of the Group of 8 leaders at the retreat in 2012. President Bill Clinton held intense meetings there in 2000 with Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel and the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat to try to broker a peace deal. The gathering offered a case study in using body language as a power play: An infamous tussle ensued as the opponents grabbed and stepped around each other and tried not to be the first man to go through a door at Camp David, as if that leader would appear to cede some power. | Mr. Obama hosted a meeting of the Group of 8 leaders at the retreat in 2012. President Bill Clinton held intense meetings there in 2000 with Prime Minister Ehud Barak of Israel and the Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat to try to broker a peace deal. The gathering offered a case study in using body language as a power play: An infamous tussle ensued as the opponents grabbed and stepped around each other and tried not to be the first man to go through a door at Camp David, as if that leader would appear to cede some power. |
| Mar-a-Lago was created to entertain, and spares no expense. It was built with stone from Italy, 36,000 antique tiles from Spain and roofing tile from Cuba. The first references to the villa in The Times, in 1927, were about lavish parties and ballets held there. | Mar-a-Lago was created to entertain, and spares no expense. It was built with stone from Italy, 36,000 antique tiles from Spain and roofing tile from Cuba. The first references to the villa in The Times, in 1927, were about lavish parties and ballets held there. |
| Ms. Post had a feeling that her Palm Beach villa could be used for presidents and foreign leaders. In 1972, after the villa was willed to the government and offered as a “winter White House,” an adviser suggested that foreign leaders could stay at the estate on their first stop in the United States, rest a few days and then continue on to Washington to meet with American leaders. | Ms. Post had a feeling that her Palm Beach villa could be used for presidents and foreign leaders. In 1972, after the villa was willed to the government and offered as a “winter White House,” an adviser suggested that foreign leaders could stay at the estate on their first stop in the United States, rest a few days and then continue on to Washington to meet with American leaders. |
| When Nixon took a helicopter trip to make an unannounced visit to Mar-a-Lago in July 1974 to “determine its potential,” he wandered the property for exactly 31 minutes. Alas, Ms. Post’s hope of having her estate turned into a presidential retreat did not bear fruit then — at least, until the arrival of Mr. Trump. | When Nixon took a helicopter trip to make an unannounced visit to Mar-a-Lago in July 1974 to “determine its potential,” he wandered the property for exactly 31 minutes. Alas, Ms. Post’s hope of having her estate turned into a presidential retreat did not bear fruit then — at least, until the arrival of Mr. Trump. |
| *Winner over all: Mar-a-Lago, for at least the next four years, though Mr. Trump may visit Camp David yet. | *Winner over all: Mar-a-Lago, for at least the next four years, though Mr. Trump may visit Camp David yet. |