Donald Trump's magnificent Mar-a-Lago estate has hosted some of the world's most famous and controversial figures over the years. Now the new hub of Trump's political career and his rumoured ambitions for a second run for office, all eyes are on the former president and his lavish estate. As news breaks of Trump moving 'top secret' records from the White House to the Florida resort, we look into the latest goings-on at the exclusive club and reveal some of the estate's biggest secrets, past and present. Click or scroll on for more...
In the latest scandal to rock Mar-a-Lago, two unnamed sources have confirmed that former president Donald Trump brought extremely sensitive presidential documents to his Florida resort, according to reports by The Washington Post. The records taken from the White House were reportedly clearly labelled as “classified” and “top secret”, sparking questions over whether Trump has broken the law through his handling of sensitive government documents.
Pictured here, aids carry boxes to Marine One before the then-outgoing President Trump departed the White House at the start of 2021. Previously reported by The Washington Post, officials from the National Archives and Records Administration removed 15 boxes of White House records from Mar-a-Lago in January 2022. Under the Presidential Records Act, the documents are the property of the US government and should’ve been turned over when Trump left office in January 2021. Advisors for the former president denied that there was any nefarious intent behind the delayed transfer of records.
Some political experts have suggested that the scandal could jeopardise Trump’s rumoured plans to run for the White House again in 2024. According to the Post, the Justice Department has been asked to examine Trump’s handling of the records by the National Archives agency. Talking to The Independent, a spokesperson for Trump’s Save America PAC rebuked accusations of wrongdoing: “It is clear that a normal and routine process is being weaponized by anonymous, politically motivated government sources to peddle Fake News”. Former White House officials have also revealed that Trump had a habit of ripping up documents while in office.
In more light-hearted news, guests at Mar-a-Lago reportedly got more than they bargained for on 4 and 5 February. The Florida club's members were sent a memo announcing that Donald Trump himself would be taking to the decks. The notice read: "Great music will be played during dinner on Friday and Saturday evenings, with President Trump playing the role of disc jockey".
Recently, it was also revealed that Trump was asking guests to stump up a pretty penny to attend his 'Take Back Congress Candidate Forum', hosted at Mar-a-Lago in February 2022. According to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman, Trump is charging attendees to the event, which is aimed at the midterm elections in November, up to $250,000 (£184k) for entry to the forum. For that hefty price tag, top-paying guests receive a photo and a private dinner for two with Trump, plus VIP seating and a two-night stay at the resort during the event.
The cheapest ticket for the forum comes in at $5,000 (£3.7k) per couple, and is said to cover "dinner with endorsed candidates and comments from President Trump". However, The Guardian reported that the earnings from the forum will be going towards Trump's own Super Pac, as opposed to those Republican candidates working to reclaim Congress. So far, the former president is said to have accumulated a staggering $122 million (£90m) in his campaign war chest ahead of the midterm elections.
Mishandled government documents, extortionate midterm forum events and impromptu DJ sets aren't the only dramas unfolding at Mar-a-Lago. Fit for a king, never mind an ex-president, Donald Trump's has holed up at his magnificent estate since leaving the White House in January 2021. It boasts a fascinating and at times eyebrow-raising back story, so click or scroll through as we reveal the secrets hidden within its walls, past and present...
Of course, Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential bid has not been officially announced, however, law enforcement agencies near Mar-a-Lago have met at least twice to prepare, according to the Palm Beach Post. And while Trump has not announced a second run for the White House, he launched a political action committee, Save America, shortly after Biden won in 2020, fuelling rumours he’s set to run in 2024.
The Palm Beach Post reported that the U.S. Secret Service called a meeting on 26 October 2021 with local law enforcement officials at Mar-a-Lago to discuss security arrangements in case Trump enters the 2024 presidential race, according to a source who attended the meeting. It was believed to be the second gathering to discuss the subject. However, when asked for details about the meeting, public information officers for the Palm Beach Police Department and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office said they “had no knowledge any such meeting took place".
When it comes to a potential vice president, Politico reports "according to conversations with a dozen Trump advisers and close associates, the former president doesn’t feel bound by geographic or ideological considerations". While he's expected to make a decision after the 2022 midterms, he’s reportedly name-dropped Florida Governor Ron DeSantis as one possible running mate. He's also been seen at Mar-a-Lago with South Carolina Senator Tim Scott and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “They’re all begging me. They all come here,” Trump reportedly boasted to one adviser.
Yet, adding more fuel to the fire, the former president returned to Iowa on 9 October. According to The Guardian it was “on the heels of a poll showing strong support in the state which traditionally kicks off presidential elections”. The Palm Beach Post reported that he spoke for more than 90 minutes, sharing a long list of campaign-style promises. Purportedly, he joked about a potential slogan but didn't go as far as announcing a re-election bid. Instead of “Make America Great Again,” he declared: “We’re going to take America back.”
The Palm Beach Post also reported that Mar-a-Lago, which was known as the ‘Southern White House’ during Donald Trump’s presidency, was “likely would be a place for strategic planning if he were to run.” As a private members’ club, it is unlikely to be used as official headquarters. However, it's possible the meetings were to work out a plan of action for dealing with a surge in visitors to the island if Trump were to announce a second run for the White House. It's been reported that during his presidency, "his presence would result in an increased number of people coming and going from the area."
On 16 October 2021, Mar-a-Lago was the scene of a trolling incident against the former president. The Democratic National Committee flew a plane near the members' club carrying a banner that read: "why won’t Youngkin let Trump campaign in VA?" They also erected a billboard in Florida to highlight Trump’s endorsement of Glenn Youngkin, the Republican candidate for governor in Virginia, believing that associating him with Trump will damage Youngkin's chances in the 2 November election. The Hill reported that Youngkin has tried to maintain his distance from Trump and when further pressed on the issue, the candidate said, “Anybody who calls me a good man, I so appreciate it, including President Trump.”
After social media posts about the Capitol riots in January 2021, Trump was permanently banned from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. On 20 October, CNBC reported that Trump is launching his own media network, Trump Media & Technology Group, amid a merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp. in order to “stand up to the tyranny of Big Tech.” The new company lists Mar-a-Lago as its address and TRUTH Social claims to be "America’s “Big Tent” social media platform that encourages an open, free, and honest global conversation without discriminating against political ideology". Whether it will be a success or not, only time will tell.
Controversially, for the first time in more than two decades Trump has not made the Forbes 400. With a net worth of $2.5 billion (£1.8bn), he missed making the list by roughly $400 million (£294m). According to Forbes his net worth is the same as last year, but it’s a significant comedown from the $3.7 billion (£2.7bn) he was worth in 2016. Forbes’ Dan Alexander said: "If Trump is looking for someone to blame, he can start with himself. Five years ago, he had a golden opportunity to diversify his fortune. Fresh off the 2016 election, federal ethics officials were pushing Trump to divest his real estate assets. That would have allowed him to reinvest the proceeds into broad-based index funds and assume office free of conflicts of interest."
Once one of Trump's most vocal political opponents, Senator Lindsey Graham has become one of the former president's advisors in more recent years. But the South Carolina Republican didn't win over former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, who criticised the senator in her forthcoming memoir, I'll Take Your Questions Now. In an excerpt printed in Business Insider she dubbed him one of the 'hangers-on' saying: "It struck me that he was using Trump to mop up the freebies like there was no tomorrow. He would show up at Mar-a-Lago or Bedminster to play free rounds of golf, stuff his face with free food, and hang out with Trump and his celebrity pals."
A joint investigation by the House committees on Oversight and Veterans’ Affairs found that three members of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort improperly influenced decisions at the Department of Veterans Affairs. ProPublica reported that associates from his private club pursued a plan for the Department of Veterans Affairs to monetise patient data, according to documents newly released by congressional investigators. Those accused included Ike Perlmutter, CEO of Marvel Entertainment, attorney Marc Sherman, and Dr Bruce Moskowitz. Oversight Committee chairwoman Rep Carolyn Maloney and Veterans’ Affairs chair Rep Mark Takano alleged that the three men “violated the law and sought to exert improper influence over government officials to further their own personal interests”.
According to the Independent, emails obtained by the committee between Dr Moskowitz and then-Veteran Affairs Secretary David Shulkin revealed that the group was taking efforts to cover up their activities, a move that would prove problematic after the Government Accountability Office found that the group constituted an official federal advisory committee under law and was therefore subject to records and transparency requirements. The results of the investigation could be the basis for the launch of an investigation at the Justice Department regarding potential breaches of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
The council's attorney reviewed Trump's residency in February 2021, coming to an agreement that he could stay. At the council meeting, a lawyer for the former president explained that Trump is a club employee, which means that he is within the decades-long agreement that states that no one can live at Mar-a-Lago unless they work there.
Now settled back at their plush Florida property, the latest reports from Palm Beach also shine an unexpected light on Donald and Melania's curious dinner customs at the estate. Author Michael Wolff claims that the couple are "treated like zoo animals" because they eat alone at a roped-off table in the Mar-a-Lago club, under the watchful gaze of 50 or 60 tables of diners. Wolff also says that guests "rise from their seats to applaud the arrival of the former first couple to the dining area" each evening.
Trump doubled the joining fee from $100,000 (£73k) to $200,000 (£146k) after he became president, prompting CNBC to report allegations that he was seeking to profit from his position. Some reports suggest the fee, which was $50,000 (£37k) back when the club opened in the 1990s, is now $250,000 (£183k). Members are also required to stump up yearly membership dues of $14,000 (£10k) and spend a minimum of $2,000 (£1.5k) per annum on food.
The revelations emerged in an excerpt of Michael Wolff's new book, Landslide: The Final Days of the Trump Presidency, which was be released in July 2021. The political writer's third exposé on the former president, Wolff also claims that Donald Trump had been asking visitors at his Mar-a-Lago resort for recommendations for lawyers, in the wake of recent charges brought against the Trump Organization for tax crimes.
Since returning to his Palm Beach estate, Donald Trump has been the subject of much controversy, and his spending in particular has made headlines this year. According to reports from The Guardian, Trump has billed the Secret Service more than $40,000 (£28k) of taxpayers' money for accommodation for his own security team detail. Former presidents are provided with Secret Service protection for life, but not one to play by the books, there are no other examples of past presidents billing the Secret Service such a large amount.
When he left the White House to live at Mar-a-Lago on 20 January, public records show that Trump charged the Secret Service $396.15 (£279) every night until 30 April. The charges are rumoured to be for a single room at the resort that was used as a workspace for the Secret Service, which has been reduced from four or five rooms when he was president. However, costs for the single room have sky-rocketed, as Trump has spent much more time in Florida, rather than previously just visiting at weekends.
Trump visited the property 32 times during his presidency, spending a total of 142 days there. Mar-a-Lago was used for important government business and hosted meetings with world leaders, including China's Xi Jinping and Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe. But these trips didn't come cheap with four sojourns costing a whopping $13.6 million (£9.9m) or an average of $3.4 million (£2.5m) each.
It's not only his security that has had to be downsized since his exit as president. A helipad, which was installed for the president on the lawn of Mar-a-Lago was removed when he lost the title of president. The helipad was the only one of its kind in Palm Beach, where there is a strict 'no helicopter' rule for its residents, granted as a special privilege to Trump during his term in the White House.
The number of members is estimated at almost 500 and, contrary to what you might think, the list isn't completely dominated by MAGA Republicans. They do make up a significant proportion, though, including several who were nominated by Trump for ambassador posts. The most notable left-leaning member, Democratic Party power broker George Norcross, gave up his membership.
In an interview promoting his book Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and the Rise of America's Xanadu, writer Les Standiford mentioned that some people insist the ghost of Marjorie Merriweather-Post roams Mar-a-Lago's corridors. What Post would have thought of Trump is anyone's guess and although her daughter wasn't a fan, the scion's granddaughter Marjorie Post Dye praised him for preserving the property.
An Associated Press investigation conducted in 2017 found that Mar-a-Lago had been cited for 78 health code violations in the previous three years, with inspectors flagging up a range of issues that included chefs failing to wash their hands, dirty cutting boards, mould growing on the ice machine, as well as serving unsafe seafood and meat that had been improperly refrigerated.
Pictured here from the outside, the owner's suite contains the aforementioned Versailles Master Bedroom, an additional bedroom, the Pine Hall and the Louis XV hall, living rooms, bathrooms and offices. As well as searching for a school for Barron Trump and setting up an office at Mar-a-Lago to continue her 'Be Best' campaign, Melania Trump prepared for the family's move by overseeing the suite's expansion and revamp, opting for copious dark wood and white marble.
Working with her favourite interior designer, Tham Kannalikham, Melania updated some of the private quarters in her own modern aesthetic. According to a report by CNN, Donald Trump is said to have hit the roof when he saw the makeover. He reportedly ordered the immediate removal of the wood and marble. Here's how the master bedroom looked in the 1990s.
Plus, the property's location directly under a flight path created a security nightmare. President Carter finally made the decision to get rid of Mar-a-Lago and handed the vacant presidential estate back to the Post Foundation in 1981, though it took an Act of Congress to make it happen. The property was put on the market for $20 million (£14.6m) – though some sources say $25 million (£18.3m) – but potential buyers were not to be found and permission was sought to raze it to the ground.
According to the City Journal, Trump is said to have first heard about Mar-a-Lago from a taxi cab driver during a drive around Palm Beach, and knew there and then that he just had to have it. To the flashy real estate mogul, Post's winter retreat represented the ultimate trophy property. Trump initially offered the Post family $15 million (£10.9m) for the estate.
The offer was rejected, so Trump decided to play tough. He purchased a beachfront parcel of land between the estate and ocean for $2 million (£1.5m). According to The Independent, he revealed plans to put a building up that would block the sea view from Mar-a-Lago, thus depreciating its value and putting off rival buyers.
Trump's audacious move had the desired effect. In 1985, the Post family agreed to accept just $8 million (£5.9m) for the estate and all its contents. This is a fraction of what Mar-a-Lago cost to build in real terms and what it's estimated to be worth nowadays – Forbes valued the property at $160 million (£117m) in 2018. The property magnate had landed the real estate bargain of the year, if not the decade.
When the Trump empire ran into financial difficulties in the early 1990s, Donald Trump worked out a way of turning his money-pit estate into a money-making juggernaut – by transforming it into a member's club. To win over the Palm Beach town council and gain permission for his venture, Trump promised to carry out a sensitive restoration of Mar-a-Lago, according to the Palm Beach Post. This would also allow him to claim a massive tax break in the form of a conservation easement.
Trump billed the club as open to all who could afford to sign up, unlike the two most established private members' clubs in Palm Beach, which, shockingly, barred African American, Jewish and LGBTQ+ people from joining. While Trump has been rightly applauded for this inclusive policy, some commentators say his motives were more about making as much money as possible and further ingratiating himself with the town council than anything benevolent. The town eventually granted permission for the club, though with some strings attached, which we will come to later.
Trump shelled out millions on the expensive restoration, which was given a big thumbs up by conservationists, and splurged on a number of additions to the property, including two swimming pools, a beauty salon and a spa, with the lion's share of the money going on a new 20,000-square-foot ballroom in the Louis XIV style. Trump is said to have spent $7 million (£5.1m) gilding the palatial space and $100,000 (£73k) a-piece on the gold basins in the bathrooms.
Interestingly, Post had iron bars installed on the windows and placed guards at the door of the Baby House following the Lindbergh kidnapping of 1932 and wouldn't allow her daughter to go anywhere without bodyguards in tow, up until her 18th birthday. In later years, guests including 'Lady Bird' Johnson stayed in the suite, and when Trump acquired the property, his daughter Ivanka got dibs on it, though these days she prefers staying in the Banyan Bungalow on the grounds.
Although the mega-mansion itself, which had gone from 118 to 126 rooms, was restored, some of its contents were sold off at auction and replaced with reproductions. Among the items that Trump offloaded were the jewel-encrusted marble dining table, antique Spanish rug, Louis XIV chests and Venetian glasses worth a thousand dollars each.
The club has welcomed a long list of celebrities over the years, including Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley, who spent their honeymoon at Mar-a-Lago. Other stars who visited the club whether for pleasure or to perform at a function include Oprah Winfrey, Martha Stewart, Tiger Woods, Billy Joel, Vanessa Williams, Liza Minnelli and Sylvester Stallone.
Laurence Leamer, author of Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump's Presidential Palace, recounts a story in his definitive book on the estate. In 2000, Trump hired top French chef Bernard Goupy, who wowed Celine Dion when she threw a baby shower at the club. Trump wasn't quite so impressed and fired Goupy not long after, having launched an expletive-packed tirade against his signature dish, a Ceasar salad. The chef went on to work for Dion who renamed the dish 'Trump Salad'.
Since Trump stepped down as president, the mood at the club is rumoured to have become decidedly 'sad' and sombre. Author Laurence Leamer told MSNBC host Alex Witt that "It's a very dispirited place". Having been acquitted from his impeachment in February 2021, Trump spent summer at his New Jersey golf club to avoid hurricane season at Mar-a-Lago. He returned to the resort for the latter part of the year.
Fit for a king, never mind an ex-president, Donald Trump's life at Mar-a-Lago continues to intrigue his fans and detractors alike. We're sure there are more secrets to come from within the walls of Palm Beach's most famous and fascinating home...
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