President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago is closing for the summer as it does every year. Even though the Florida resort is closing, Trump will not spend all weekends in the White House. Instead, he plans to spend some weekends at Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey.
While Mar-a-Lago was the president's winter getaway, Bedminster will be his summer getaway for the weekends, holidays and special occasions. Florida residents are glad Trump is leaving, and Bedminster residents aren't pleased that he is coming to their small rural town. The White House has already received complaints from local residents.
What Bedminster expects
President Donald Trump’s repeated weekend Mar-a-Lago visits cost taxpayers more money for security and other expenditures. It will be the same for Bedminster residents. Not only are Trump's visits costly, they are also chaotic and inconvenient. Streets are closed and there are traffic jams the entire time he is in a city. The small town of Bedminster has only 16 police officers. That's enough on ordinary days, but when Trump is in town it might be challenging to get extra police from nearby cities.
Almost everything changes when the president is around. For instance, his going to New Jersey will affect transportation, whether it is on land or by air. Residents are concerned about the traffic and street closings.
Aviators are concerned about the no-fly zone overhead when the president visits.
Residents are wondering how much the public will have to pay each time Trump is in Bedminster. The security and extra overtime for Trump's three-day trip when he was the president-elect cost $3,683 in overtime for local police. Mayor Steve Parker believes that seven visits to Bedminster like the ones to Florida could cost more than $300,000.
Residents are concerned that they will get higher tax bills to help cover the cost of Trump's trips. The small town is hoping Washington will help foot the bill for Trump's expected visits.
Trump's Bedminster National Golf Club
Trump's golf club in Bedminster is on a villa exclusively reserved for the president on the property.
The clubhouse and the villa are set back more than a mile from a main road. Trump once mentioned that he would like to be buried on the property because he appreciates the Bedminster ethics that don't exist in other towns. Now that he is the 45th President of the United States, he has probably changed his mind. Ivanka Trump and her husband, senior White House adviser Jared Kushner, were married there on October 25, 2009.
During the election, Donald Trump won the small town of Bedminster by only 42 votes. This year the club will host the U.S. Women’s Open in mid-July. That will fulfill Trump's longtime dream of having a major professional golf tournament at one of his golf courses.
