WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump wants to transform Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach County into a permanent presidential retreat for U.S. presidents and visiting foreign leaders, a proposal that would involve county-owned land and a new lodging facility paid for by the golf club.
The proposal, outlined in a Sept. 3 letter from Trump International Golf Club attorney Harvey E. Oyer to Palm Beach County commissioners, calls for the golf club to partner with the county and the federal government to create what Trump has described as a Camp David-style retreat.
Trump announced the idea Wednesday, saying the concept was suggested by the military and U.S. Secret Service.
“They could spend the weekend there like a retreat, like sort of a Camp David retreat,” Trump said.
But the location presents a significant security question. Trump International Golf Club was the site of an attempted assassination of Trump in September 2024, when he was a presidential candidate. A former FBI agent who spoke with WPTV's Michael Hoffman says the property's location and surrounding roads could make it difficult to secure as a permanent presidential retreat.
What Trump is proposing
The golf club's letter asks Palm Beach County to designate Trump International Golf Club as the “permanent United States Presidential Golf Course.”
Under the proposal, the club would make its golf courses and amenities available to past, current and future U.S. presidents, regardless of political party, as well as visiting foreign heads of state, at the discretion of the White House.
The letter says Trump International Golf Club would work with the U.S. General Services Administration and U.S. Secret Service to design an appropriate presidential lodging facility.
The club says it would pay the cost of constructing the lodging facility and provide access to the facilities at no cost to the federal government.
Oyer described the proposal as a gift to future presidents and the American people, noting in the letter that Trump would be out of office before the project could be completed.
The letter also points to the golf club's proximity to Palm Beach International Airport, South Florida's weather and existing security measures as reasons the property would be well suited for the proposal.
The club called Trump International Golf Club “one of the most secure golf courses in the world” and described it as an ideal site for a presidential retreat.
Why Palm Beach County's land is part of the deal
The golf course sits on county-owned land that is leased long term to Trump International Golf Club, according to the club's letter.
Under the proposed arrangement, Trump International Golf Club would grant the county a legal right to the land needed for the lodging facility and other structures. The county would then lease that property to the federal government, allowing the county to remain the landlord.
The proposal says Palm Beach County would retain control of the property if the federal government no longer wanted to use the facility or defaulted on its lease.
That means the proposal would require more than simply building a new facility at the golf course. It would create a new arrangement among the golf club, Palm Beach County and the federal government.
The proposal remains in its early stages. WPTV is reaching out to Palm Beach County commissioners about whether they support providing county land for the project.
The security challenge
The proposal's security claims come with a notable complication: Trump International Golf Club was the scene of an attempted assassination of Trump on Sept. 15, 2024.
Federal prosecutors said Ryan Wesley Routh was convicted in 2025 of attempting to assassinate Trump at the golf course. He was sentenced in February 2026 to life in federal prison plus seven years.
According to the Justice Department, a Secret Service agent conducting a security sweep at the golf course spotted Routh along the fence line near the sixth hole with a rifle. The agent fired at Routh, who fled before being arrested in Martin County.
The incident demonstrated the security challenges posed by the golf course's perimeter, including areas adjacent to public roads.
Former FBI agent Stuart Kaplan told WPTV he believes securing the property as a permanent presidential retreat would be extremely difficult.
“I think it would be absolutely impossible to secure the Trump International Golf Course,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan pointed to the property's location near major thoroughfares and the need to secure both the perimeter and surrounding airspace.
“If you're going to secure this type of retreat, it has to be 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all day long, every single day,” Kaplan said.
Kaplan also questioned the need for a permanent presidential retreat in South Florida.
What happens next
Trump's proposal would ultimately require coordination between Palm Beach County, Trump International Golf Club and the federal government.
The club has proposed paying for the lodging facility and says the arrangement would come at no cost to the federal government. Palm Beach County, however, would play a central role because the golf course sits on county-owned land.
For now, the proposal is only that — a proposal. County commissioners have yet to determine whether they support the arrangement, and additional questions remain about the project's design, land agreement and security requirements.
WPTV is seeking reaction from Palm Beach County commissioners as the proposal moves forward.
Read the full letter here:
