‘You Can’t Have It Both Ways’: Palm Beach Mayor Considers Closing Mar-a-Lago Club Citing Safety Concerns

The backdrop of this consideration is a recent assassination attempt near former President Donald Trump’s property, which has escalated security measures in the area.

This decision was in reaction to the security threats following the assassination attempt on July 13. The closure has disrupted local traffic and access.

Mayor Moore highlighted the contradiction in a recent council meeting, stating, “You can’t have it both ways, boys and girls. Either the club’s open or not,” as reported by the Palm Beach Daily News.

On July 31, a Chinese citizen repeatedly tried to enter the club, claiming he had documents linking China to the July 13 assassination attempt. A 42-year-old man from South Carolina was also arrested after bypassing Secret Service checkpoints in a bid to give Trump some religious items and have him sign a T-shirt.

The town is exploring legal options to ensure the road remains open when Trump is not in residence, according to a July 20 alert.

“I have more concerns coming from the west side of Mar-a-Lago,” she said, questioning the necessity of the closure given its geographical context with mostly water in the vicinity.

“In my mind, if the road is closed, the Mar-a-Lago Club is closed. There’s no way in God’s green earth that they can bring 350 people into that club. It’s completely illogical that you’ve got a road closed and then you’re going to let 350 strangers into your club,” said Moore.

Town members also insisted politics play no role in their calls for a prolonged closure of the club.

These concerns are compounded by the fact that caregivers and staff are finding it difficult to reach homes, potentially affecting emergency responses.

Council Member Ted Cooney voiced his concerns, explaining the substantial change to town life and transport, indicating residents now face dramatically increased travel times for simple errands.

However, Palm Beach Fire Rescue Chief Sean Baker said response times will be affected regardless.

Palm Beach Police Chief Nicholas Caristo said during a hurricane-related evacuation, barricades would be lifted.

Blouin commented, “We’re at the slowest point that we’re going to be and we’re already seeing the impacts.”

This prolongation adds to the complexity of the situation, as residents and officials brace for an extended period of disruption.

The town council is caught in a delicate balancing act, trying to mitigate the impact on the community while adhering to necessary security protocols.

They cited the declaration-of-use agreement between Trump and Palm Beach as the legal barrier to him claiming legal residence at the club. However, the previous Town Attorney allowed Trump to take residence at Mar-a-Lago.

However, the former Town Attorney, Skip Randolph, found that Trump could live at the club. Trump lives at the club under the town’s zoning code, which says private clubs can provide living quarters to “bona fide employees.”

According to the agreement between Trump and the Palm Beach council, his residence would only end if he was found to have violated his declaration-of-use agreement with the council.

Trump estimated the property’s value between $426 million and $612 million. Findings from New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York Justice Arthur Engoron said its actual value lies between $18 million and $27.6 million.

“While the road closure around Mar-a-Lago is certainly an inconvenience, it is reasonable given the circumstances. We all need to add additional time to our travels to avoid the area, and that is worthwhile to reduce the chance of something unthinkable occurring in our community,” said Reiter.

This approach aims to alleviate some of the logistical challenges faced by the town and its residents.

O’Connor asked the Secret Service “to provide the legal authority authorizing it to implement the road closure for the specific duration and even when protectee(s) are not in residence in the Town.”

Town Manager, Kirk Bluin, said: “We can’t physically go and remove the barriers. They ordered the shutdown. We need to know what our options are. That’s going to take some legal research.”

The decisions made in the coming weeks could set precedents for handling similar situations in the future, particularly in areas hosting high-profile individuals.