Mar-a-Lago

Mar-a-Lago is an estate in Palm Beach, Florida that was constructed by Marjorie Merriweather Post in 1927. Post wanted the estate to serve as a winter White House—she even donated the complex to the federal government after her death—but the government declined to use Mar-a-Lago in any such capacity. When the estate was purchased by real estate mogul Donald Trump in 1985, it was quickly renovated into a successful club and resort. It is known for its lavish construction, acres of beaches, and elite members.

When Trump won the 2016 US Presidential Election, he hosted foreign dignitaries and conducted important government business at Mar-a-Lago. Following the end of his presidential term, Trump retired there, making the resort his primary residence. Though some government officials and residents of Palm Beach alleged that such a move violated a prior agreement between Trump and the city, the local government later stated in 2021 that no such violation had taken place. Trump continued to host events for both private members of the club and political events at Mar-a-Lago throughout 2024.

Background

Mar-a-Lago was constructed in 1927 by Marjorie Merriweather Post, a businessperson who owned General Foods. At the time, Post used her large seaside mansion as her private home, where she hosted elaborate parties. The estate quickly became a prominent part of the region’s social scene. Being invited to attend Post’s social events at Mar-a-Lago became a status symbol in Palm Beach.

When constructing Mar-a-Lago, Post hoped that the complex would one day become a historic structure. Specifically, Post dreamed that Mar-a-Lago would serve as a surrogate White House, where the president could vacation or host gatherings. For this reason, Post eventually donated the entire complex to the US federal government.

Unfortunately, few presidents displayed interest in the mansion. President Richard Nixon toured the property, but the Watergate scandal stopped him from using it as a winter White House. Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter both determined that the property was too expensive to maintain as a presidential residence. In 1981, the federal government returned the estate to the Post family, who put the property up for sale. Property developer Cerf Stanford Ross added eight homes to Mar-a-Lago, hoping to subdivide it and increase the property’s chances of selling. However, the developer failed to secure an immediate sale.

Mar-a-Lago was purchased by businessperson and future President Donald J. Trump in 1985 for between seven and ten million dollars. At the time, Trump was seeking a new residence in the Mar-a-Lago area and began living on the estate full-time. Trump spent an estimated ten million dollars on repairs and renovations, before opening the Mar-a-Lago Club in 1994.

Like its initial incarnation, the Mar-a-Lago Club was marketed as a meeting place for an exclusive social group. Trump gave Mar-a-Lago memberships to well-known celebrities, including members of the British royal family. This helped promote the estate by attracting high-profile guests, as well as making the Mar-a-Lago Club appear more exclusive. Though Trump and his family maintained a private residence in the resort, much of the estate was opened to guests and members of the club.

Trump continued to expand the resort. He added a grand ballroom, two ocean cabanas, a tennis pavilion, an auditorium, and multiple houses. The property made headlines as the focus of Trump’s legal battles with the town of Palm Beach, and again during his wedding to Slovenian model and future First Lady Melania (Knauss) Trump. Trump also faced legal battles over Mar-a-Lago over insurance claims for hurricane damage, discrimination, and aviation use.

Overview

Mar-a-Lago was initially designed by architects Marion Sims Wyeth and Joseph Urban. The large estate, which includes roughly twenty acres of land, borders both the Florida Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean. Members who sought to use the facilities were required to pay a $200,000 initiation fee, in addition to roughly twenty thousand dollars in annual dues. The famed resort was known for welcoming people who had been refused membership by other high-priced Palm Beach clubs. These included Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer (LGBTQ+), Black, and Jewish members.

The Mar-a-Lago Club offers a variety of luxury accommodations for its guests. It includes a two-acre private beach, several beachside cabanas, and a beachfront bistro. Members may purchase skin-care products, spa items, and clothing at the Trump Boutique. The Mar-a-Lago Club includes numerous sports facilities, including five tennis courts, croquet lawns, and fitness centers. In addition to offering the resort to guests, Trump partitioned Mar-a-Lago into numerous smaller estates. These estates offer a level of luxury that is similar to the Mar-a-Lago Club, but they are adjacent to the main complex.

Many of the buildings in Mar-a-Lago have been constructed to resemble European palaces. They feature gilded surfaces, high ceilings, and large gardens. Most of the decor and furnishings in the estate were originally chosen by Post.

After a controversial and divisive campaign, Trump won the 2016 presidential election and was inaugurated on January 20, 2017. Soon after, he announced that Mar-a-Lago would serve as his winter White House in the manner that Post had originally intended. Trump hosted foreign dignitaries at the resort, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan and President Xi Jinping of China. Trump also held important meetings with American government officials in secured sections of the Palm Beach estate.

In 2021, the estate was partially closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The club experienced a localized outbreak of the virus and several of its workers were quarantined. Reporters also noted that Mar-a-Lago had undergone sterilization procedures before reopening.

Following his loss in the 2020 US Presidential Election and the end of his presidential term in January 2021, Trump retired to Mar-a-Lago, using the resort as his official residence. This move was initially controversial, with some members of the local government claiming that Trump residing in Mar-a-Lago violated the 1993 agreement that allowed him to turn it into a resort. However, Palm Beach officials later determined that Trump had not violated the agreement.

Mar-a-Lago once again entered the news in August 2022 when the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as part of a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation into Trump, raided the former president's residence on the estate. FBI agents searched the home on August 8 and removed government documents, including some classified materials, which Trump had taken from the White House after the end of his presidency and subsequently refused to hand over to investigators. The FBI justified the search by citing the sensitive nature of the seized materials and the likelihood of attempts to obstruct its investigation; the FBI released a heavily redacted copy of its affidavit on August 26. Meanwhile, Trump, who maintained his innocence and described the raid as politically motivated, fought the action in court. In September 2022, a Florida district court judge granted Trump permission to appoint a special master to review the seized materials. Although a trial was originally set for May 2024, it was indefinitely delayed due to pretrial conflicts. As 2024 progressed, Trump continued to use Mar-a-Lago in his campaign for the 2024 presidential election, hosting donor and campaign events. Mar-a-Lago continued to retain its prominence, both as an opulent private residence and a focal point in Trump's political world. 

Bibliography

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