Residents around Mar-a-Lago brace for major disruption as large moving trucks spotted outside Donald Trump's club
Several moving trucks were spotted Monday morning at President Donald J. Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, fueling speculation that he will move to the plush South Florida property after leaving office on January 20. At about 9.30 am, WPTV Chopper 5 spotted at least two large trucks from JK Moving Services parked outside the club. Workers were reportedly seen moving large boxes into the property.
Meanwhile, security was considerably beefed up. A United States of America helicopter and Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office helicopter hovered over the beachfront resort, while law enforcement patrol boats kept an eye out for activities just offshore.
The President is set to arrive in South Florida on Wednesday morning, according to Palm Beach police. President-elect Joe Biden will be inaugurated in Washington later in the day.
Town Manager Kirk Blouin and Police Chief Nicholas Caristo revealed in a letter sent to residents last week that there would be road closures around Mar-a-Lago for "several days" until all security concerns are ruled out. "On Wednesday, January 20, 2021, we expect Secret Service to have a final road closure near Mar-a-Lago," the letter said. "The road closure will last several days for safety and security reasons. Beyond this, we do not foresee any future road closures related to the presence of a former president."
Trump changed his primary residential address from New York City to Palm Beach in 2019. However, he is yet to officially confirm if he will move to Mar-a-Lago after his presidential tenure. Meanwhile, police are "prepared to respond" to any "security concerns" and are working with federal and state agencies to gather intelligence, according to WPTV.
In a tweet on Monday, the town of Palm Beach said road closures around Mar-a-Lago would begin Tuesday at 8 p.m.
ROAD CLOSURES AROUND MARALAGO TO BEGIN JANUARY 19: The roadway around Maralago will be closed down to traffic starting Tuesday, January 19 at 8:00PM. Traffic will be restricted in the north and south directions on S Ocean Blvd. Please use caution… https://t.co/Za9xGSpOSB
— Town of Palm Beach (@townpalmbeach) January 18, 2021
Yesterday, MEAWW reported how a presidential helipad for Marine One at Mar-a-Lago will be decommissioned after Trump leaves office. The town of Palm Beach doesn't usually allow non-emergency helicopters. However, it issued a special permit for the former real estate mogul after he won the presidency in 2016, allowing his members-only club to accommodate the stately 25,000-lb. Marine One.
According to Michelle Sentmanat, senior permit coordinator at the Town of Palm Beach, the permit was "only granted on a contingency basis." Speaking to People, she said it was specified in the permit that the helipad could only be used for business-related to the US presidency and not after Trump was out of office.
It's worth noting that this is the first time since 1869 that the outgoing president will not be attending his successor’s inauguration ceremony, as Trump is confirmed to skip Biden’s inauguration and also refrain from the traditional and symbolic helicopter lift from the US Capitol.
That said, Trump isn't the only one snubbing his successor. Melania Trump reportedly brushed off the incoming First Lady Jill Biden by not inviting her for a tour of the family wing of the White House. "Melania Trump will become the first modern first lady not to invite the woman who will replace her to the White House for a walk-through of the private living quarters on the second and third floors," author Kate Andersen Brower wrote in an op-ed for CNN.