Trump floats turning his Florida golf course into presidential retreat

US ​President Donald Trump on Wednesday backed a ​plan to turn part of ‌his ​West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course into a Camp David-style presidential retreat.

"It's a great idea, and it will be used ‌a lot," Trump told reporters on Wednesday when asked about the plan. "The advantage is — this was suggested to me by the military and Secret Service — there are no high buildings looming ‌over it," Trump told reporters. He also noted the location's proximity to the recently renamed ‌President Donald J. Trump International Airport and a lack of nearby housing.

"They asked if I'd be willing to do it, and I said I would be," Trump said. "This wouldn't be for me. This would be ⁠for ​all future presidents." The club was ⁠the site of a foiled assassination attempt on Trump in 2024. Secret Ryan Routh was sentenced to ⁠life in prison in February after prosecutors said he hid in bushes near the course with a ​semi-automatic rifle. Secret Service agents captured him before he could fire a shot.

The Palm ⁠Beach Post first reported that a lawyer representing Trump International Golf Club proposed the idea in a letter last ⁠month ​to Palm Beach County officials. The plan would designate a parcel of the club as a permanent location for presidents and world leaders, the newspaper said. Reuters ⁠could not immediately confirm the letter's contents. An attorney representing the club told the Washington Post that ⁠Trump would pay ⁠for construction of the presidential residence and facilities.

The US Secret Service and Department of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for ‌comment.