Palm Beach officials consider closing Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

Officials in Palm Beach, Florida, are looking for a way to resolve the indefinite closure of a city road that runs near former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate.

One solution might be to close the Mar-a-Lago club that operates on the property.

“The Palm Beach Council on Tuesday asked city staff to investigate what could be done about the July 20 closure of South Ocean Boulevard,” the Palm Beach Daily Times reported.

The Secret Service ordered the road closed following the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

“That curve in South Ocean Boulevard is 250 feet from the front gate of Mar-a-Lago,” former Secret Service agent Paul Eckloff told the Daily News.

A training guide for public safety officers published by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and other government agencies recommends a mandatory evacuation distance of 350 feet for cars, 420 feet for SUVs or pickups and about 700 feet for small trucks, given their potential to be loaded with explosives.

However, Palm Beach Mayor Danielle Moore accused Trump of trying to have it both ways.

“In my mind, if the road is closed, the Mar-a-Lago Club is closed,” Moore said Tuesday, after Councilmember Julie Araskog raised the question of what will happen when the club reopens in the fall as the summer heat subsides and more people flock to the city.

“It is completely impossible that they can accommodate 350 people in this club. It is totally illogical to close a road and let 350 strangers into your club,” the mayor said.

BREAKING: Palm Beach Mayor Considers Closing Mar-a-Lago, Evicting Trump From His Own Home

“In my mind, if the road is closed, Mar-a-Lago is closed… You can’t have it both ways, the boys and the girls” – Mayor Danielle Moore

After the attempted assassination of Trump… pic.twitter.com/hWaAqrsp82

— Georges (@BehizyTweets) August 15, 2024

She argued that increasing security around Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s primary residence, and allowing hundreds of people to attend events at the club are inconsistent.

“You can’t have it both ways, boys and girls,” Moore said. “Either the club is open or it’s not.”

In 1993, the city council authorized Trump to operate Mar-a-Lago as a private social club with a “special exceptional use in a residential neighborhood of Palm Beach,” according to the Daily News.

“The club’s operation is also governed by the Declaration of Use Agreement. If the city discovers that there have been violations of the agreement, Palm Beach can revoke Mar-a-Lago’s operating license,” the outlet added.

“Officials have also asked in past discussions whether health and safety concerns raised by neighbors could be a reason to remove the special exception that allows Mar-a-Lago to operate as a private club.”

Trump resides at the property under a city zoning code that states a “bona fide employee” can live there.

If the city were to force the club to close, it is unclear what impact that would have on Trump’s ability to continue to use Mar-a-Lago as his residence.