President Donald Trump is reportedly revamping the White House to resemble his swanky home in Mar-A-Lago because the first family ”would prefer to be in Palm Beach,“ according to a source who spoke to People.
“Their plans for the White House are being implemented to remind them of Mar-a-Lago,” the source said. “That way, when they aren’t in Palm Beach they are there in the mind.”
The Trump estate of Mar-a-Lago, spanning 20 acres of the Sunshine State’s pristine beachfront in Palm Beach, is lavishly decorated with gold embellishments and chandeliers, reflecting the president’s love of gold.
The recent renovations in the White House are aimed at “bringing Mar-a-Lago to Washington,” closely resembling the opulent decor of the Florida estate.
Since the start of his second term, Trump replaced the White House Rose Garden lawn with a cement patio. The formerly lush, green garden, which has undergone various changes by former administrations, has been replaced with a concrete slab that included the same striped patio umbrellas as the ones in Mar-a-Lago.
Trump also plans on building a 90,000-square-foot ballroom located on top of the East Wing, similar to the Mar-a-Lago club’s Grand Ballroom.
And most noticeably, the Oval Office have been speckled with gold embellishments and decals, echoing the tune of the Trump brand.
A separate source who is a Mar-a-Lago club member told the outlet that the Trumps take pride in designing their Palm Beach residence and showing it off, so it “makes sense” that they would revamp the Official Residence to match their tastes.
“Anytime Melania and Donald can make the White House feel more like Mar-a-Lago, they will,” the club member said. “Not only is [Mar-a-Lago] their home, but Donald personally created much of the current decor and takes pride in living there and showing it to other people.”
Another Mar-a-Lago source told the outlet that the President remained largely unsatisfied with much of the White House, stating he was “never happy” with the spaces he frequently occupied.
The major renovations to the historic office have sparked controversy, especially the drastic change of the Rose Garden, but Stewart McLaurin, president of the White House Historical Association, told NPR that changes to the White House that were once considered controversial later became viewed as essential with time.
“It’s not frozen in time,” said McLaurin. “It evolves and it changes. And different presidents and first ladies have different ideas.”
While President Trump resides in the White House as per tradition, a report from the nonprofit Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington found that Trump made over 99 visits to his properties, 62 of which were visits to his golf courses.
Melania Trump has also been seemingly missing from Washington, spending most of her time in Trump Tower in Manhattan or Mar-a-Lago. According to a New York Times report, the first lady only spent 14 days at the White House since her husband took office as of May.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
The post The Real Reason Trump Is Turning the White House Into Mar-a-Lago appeared first on The Daily Beast.
