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. 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.