According to recent reports from the Florida-based private golf club and resort Mar-a-Lago — where
President Donald Trump has been staying on and off since losing to President-elect Joe
Biden in a bid for a second term in November 2020 — POTUS and FLOTUS are clashing over,
of all things, interior design.
As CNN first described in a report published on December 29, 2020, recent renovations made
to Trump's private quarters at the members-only establishment caused his mood to slump into
a "darkened" malaise, according to an anonymous source close to his inner circle.
The renovations in question — which CNN described as consisting of "white marble and
an abundance of dark wood" — irritated the soon-to-be-former president to such a degree
that he asked for them to be immediately removed. The unnamed insider also disclosed that the
newly installed décor prompted, quote, "several loud, one-sided conversations with club management."
The masterminds behind the interior remodel of Trump's private quarters at Mar-a-Lago
were none other than his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and her personal interior decorator.
Melania doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to décor.
"I'm working like a — my ass off at —" "I know." "—on Christmas stuff that you know,
who give a f--k about Christmas stuff and decoration? But I need to do it, right?"
Nevertheless, she reportedly collaborated solely with the decorator to execute the renovations.
She also supposedly did not consult the club's staff regarding the redesign, which in addition
to President Trump's personal residence at the resort, also included other areas within
the Mar-a-Lago property.
Unfortunately for FLOTUS, her efforts to refurbish were not to Trump's liking, to put it mildly.
As Business Insider noted, the president immediately ordered staff to tear out the newly implemented
décor, which they did so immediately. No word on how Melania reacted at the time.
"Do you love your husband?"
"Yes. We are fine. Yes."
While Trump's over-the-top response to the decorative overhaul at his favorite private
golf club might seem like a one-off (and to some, very much in character), it might be
within the context of a much larger picture — at least when it comes to Mar-a-Lago,
that is.
If it seems like Mar-a-Lago has been in the news a little more frequently lately, it's
because, it, well, has. The Florida property — which became President Donald Trump's
official domicile in 2019 — has been his unofficial headquarters ever since his failed
re-election bid. And according to Forbes, frequent trips to Mar-a-Lago for golf since
2017 have cost an estimated $142 million in taxpayer money.
His most current stay — which began on December 22, 2020 — has a bit more of an event-based
purpose: preparation for a New Year's Eve bash. It's unclear if the area where the event
will be held was one redecorated by Melania. According to Business Insider, there is also
no word as to whether any measures will be put in place to stave off the possibility
of the bash becoming a coronavirus superspreader event.
Something else could've informed Trump's reaction to Melania's renovations. Though it still
remains unclear as to whether he will refuse to leave the White House after President-elect
Joe Biden's upcoming inauguration on January 20th, there have reportedly been strong indications
that Trump's plans post-presidency will involve a permanent move to his favorite private resort.
But unfortunately for the departing president, a number of factors might throw a wrench into
his plans.
For one thing, there's the fact that residents of the Palm Beach community don't exactly
want him there. As the Washington Post first reported on December 17th, 2020, a visible
contingent of the Palm Beach population issued a petition against Trump's possible permanent
move, stating it would be in violation of a contract and deal he made in 1993. At the
time, the promise was made in an effort to turn the property, which was a then-private
residence owned by the Trump Organization, into a private commercial resort. It does
not prevent Trump from living anywhere else in Palm Beach
The petition, which was composed in order to "avoid an embarrassing situation" — the
scenario of legally evicting a former president — was met with opposition by the Trump Organization,
which denies the existence of the 1993 contract, according to the Associated Press.
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