PALM BEACH, Florida – The relationship between former President Donald J. Trump and his adopted hometown in Florida has been difficult since the beginning, with Trump seen by serious Palm Beach officials as a bull in a china shop whose presence they before they barely tolerated it. Things improved a little while he was at the White House, with the city giving in to its most famous part-time winter resident.
Now that he has returned for three weeks as a private citizen, Palm Beach has been forced to deal with an issue that overlooked him while Mr. Trump was in office: he is allowed to reside full time in his private Mar-Clube a-Lago ?
The answer seems to be yes.
On Tuesday, when Trump’s second impeachment trial began in the U.S. Senate, the Palm Beach City Council met via Zoom to discuss whether Trump was violating a 1993 agreement that allowed him to convert his property from Mar-a- Lake from a private residence in a profitable club.
Preservation lawyers and some of its neighbors argued that the agreement required Mar-a-Lago to function as a social club in which no one could live.
“This issue threatens to make Mar-a-Lago a permanent beacon for its most fanatical and lawless supporters,” said Philip C. Johnston, a lawyer for the Preserve Palm Beach group, referring to Trump.
City Attorney John C. Randolph said that nothing in the agreement specifically prohibited Mr. Trump from using the property as his residence – if, as club president, Mr. Trump is considered a Mar-a-Lago employee .
“The language of the agreement that regulates the use of suites for members for limited periods of time does not apply to this situation,” said Randolph.
The City Council did not vote. But it was clear that members had no appetite to fight with the former president, if he wanted to live here all year. South Florida shows up in February, but not so much in August.
“I don’t think there was a breach,” said Margaret A. Zeidman, the chairman of the board.
For a chic barrier island known for rewarding discretion, just talking about the controversy seemed to fill the officers with dread. A previous item on the agenda involved grumbling about the notion of ugly mediocre parking along Worth Avenue, the shopping area full of the city’s designer stores. (Valet parking is very much preferred.) What to do with Mr. Trump was the last topic discussed.
“I can only hope that once again civility, courtesy and partnership will come to the community,” said Mayor Gail L. Coniglio at the beginning of the meeting.
John B. Marion, Trump’s lawyer, warned that if Trump were prevented from living in Mar-a-Lago, he could move to one of several other homes he owns nearby, creating a greater security problem for neighbors.
Since he last flew from Andrews Joint Base in Maryland on the morning of January 20, Mr. Trump has spent time playing golf or meeting people in Mar-a-Lago. On Sunday night, he was filmed making an appearance among club guests during the Super Bowl, wearing a suit, as he almost always does at the club.
On Tuesday, a masked policeman was on guard at the entrance to Mar-a-Lago. Some Trump campaign posters remained high on electric poles along the old presidential motorway route in West Palm Beach.
Trump’s neighbors would have been more receptive after his presidency had he not urged his supporters who then invaded the United States Capitol on January 6, said Laurence Leamer, a former Palm Beach resident who wrote a book on Mar-a- Lake.
“Most of the people who voted for him on the island voted for him because they want low taxes and a booming stock market,” he said. “But with the insurrection, people did not want to be close to him.”
There is talk of the members of Mar-a-Lago not going to the club anymore and planning to let their membership expire, but “no one wants to say that publicly,” said Leamer.
“Charities are not coming back,” he predicted, referring to organizations that held fundraising events at the club. “It is not worth taking the risk because you know that at least half of your members will not be happy with the choice of location.”
But others in Palm Beach County think there are bigger issues to be resolved.
Jennifer McGrath of Jupiter sent a letter to the editor of The Palm Beach Daily News last month criticizing the newspaper for what she considered to be critical coverage of Trump.
“There are a lot of people who are not angry that he lives there,” McGrath said in an interview. “It’s ridiculous. He has the right to live wherever he wants, wherever he has a residence.”
Maggie Haberman contributed reporting from New York. Kitty Bennett contributed research.