(Removes extraneous word “Secret” in paragraph 5)
By Christian Martinez and Bo Erickson
WASHINGTON, Oct 7 (Reuters) – 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.
(Reporting by Christian Martinez and Bo Erickson; Editing by Trevor Hunnicutt and David Gregorio)
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