Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort haemorrhaging members, says author
‘It's a very dispirited place,’ says Laurence Leamer
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida is allegedly losing members following the end of his tenure as president of the United States.
According to writer Laurence Leamer, who penned the definitive book about the hotel, “a lot of people have quit Mar-a-Lago” since Trump left office.
The author of Mar-a-Lago: Inside the Gates of Power at Donald Trump's Presidential Palace described the resort, previously nicknamed the Winter White House, as being a “very dispirited place” during an interview with MSNBC.
“It’s a sad place... it's not what it was,” he added.
Mr Leamer claimed that members had told him they “silently walked out” of the club following Trump’s political defeat.
They told the author they were “not concerned about politics and they said the food is no good".
During Trump’s presidential term, some members were paying annual fees of up to $200,000, according to Leamer, but he predicted that they would no longer accept these prices without the accompanying political prestige.
Trump moved his permanent residence from Trump Tower in New York to Mar-a-Lago in 2019.
However, Mr Leamer has alleged that even the Palm Beach locals aren’t big fans of the former president.
“Even here, people don't like him,” he said. “It's just another measure of how his power has declined.”
The Independent has contacted Mar-a-Lago for comment.
Since his return home, Trump has been mocked with a “pathetic loser” banner flying over his Florida resort.
On Sunday, reports emerged that a derogatory banner was being flown over West Palm Beach.
According to CBS 12 reporter Paxton Boyd, a scathing message written on the banner read: “Trump you pathetic loser go back to Moscow.”
It wasn’t immediately clear what exactly the banner’s flight path was, who had funded the stunt and whether the former president was aware of the aerial trolling.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments