Camp David has been good enough for other presidents, why not this one, too?
By Alan Bauer:
Florida is awfully hot in the summer. President Trump knows this, so reportedly he is seeking new digs for his weekend getaways. And one of his potential landing spots is in New Jersey.
Trump has spent about half of the weekends he’s been in office at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Fla. Now that the weather is heating up, word is he’s looking for a new weekend spot, and that his Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster is on the short list.
That could be both good news and bad for the 8,000 or so Bedminster residents and their local businesses.
On the plus side, the horde of security and media people that follows the president around will get hungry, do some shopping, need a place to sleep, etc. In theory, local businesses could see a boost. And it’s cool to say the president vacays in your hometown.
On the other hand, a presidential visit never is good news for traffic, for example. Then there’s the burden placed on local public services, most notably the police. Bedminster’s mayor says if the president keeps up his every-other-week-away-from-the-White House routine this summer and visits his town every time, it could be looking at $300,000 in expenses that aren’t in the budget. So, understandably, he’s already talking to the feds about compensation.
But the president already has a getaway — Camp David in Maryland. Every other president has used Camp David since the 1940s. As for security, technically Camp David is a military installation — the Naval Support Facility Thurmont — run by the Navy and Marines. It’s pretty safe to say Trump visits to Camp David, logistically speaking, would be a lot less stressful than a jaunt to Bedminster every other weekend.
As of this writing, no official word had been handed down as to the president’s summer retreat, how many times he plans to visit it, etc.
Here’s hoping he discovers, as other presidents have, that Camp David is the perfect place to rest, relax and recharge.
A single trip to Bedminster to check out the putting greens? Sure, but let’s not make a habit out of it.
