Why do you suppose that Donald Trump holds meetings at one of his establishments?

He feels comfortable in his own place.

Um, it goes along with the rest of his ego trip? He’s been branding his venues and other crap (even an awful so-called “university”) for many years. I’m sure he doesn’t mind collecting the fees. I imagine it may also help with paranoia problems to be “on his own turf” as well.

Also, when one considers his behavior patterns (bizarrely aggressive dominance handshakes, moving objects on tables, even in front of other people, and his aggressive ways of speaking and holding himself), it’s hardly any surprise he’d want to have the venue be owned by him, staffed by his flunkies, and bearing his name.

For pure profit. It’s his main motive for everything else; why should that be a surprise?

You have probably seen the cost of one of his little weekend excursions with all his entourage and security. All that money goes into his pockets.

Because he can and I suspect he is uncomfortable in places over which he has limited control.

To get as much money out of the US taxpayer as possible.

He owns those places, and the government pays money to be housed and fed and hosted at these places, so he profits. It’s completely against the law and luridly unethical.

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that none of us have seen the how all that financial business is taken care of so profit motive is a baseless accusation. I think it’s likely he is just comfortable in familiar surroundings. He has the feeling of being in tighter control over security. He has said that he is flipping the bill so that in theory saves the taxpayer. He is getting serious product placement though which crosses ethical lines IMO.

Financial benefit. He can charge for the rooms.

Money and familiarity. Maybe the weather too.

I didn’t have a huge problem with Melania staying in NY for their son until the end of the school year, but I do have a problem paying Trump Enterprises money for hosting Presidential dinners at his hotels.

Not only is he more comfortable sleeping in his own bed than at the White House, but I am betting there’s a tax deduction for using the houses for business purposes. Someone in my family is a CPA/CFP so I’m going to ask tonight.

The Government Accountability Office has announced it will begin a review of the costs of Trump’s visits to Mar-a-Lago. Each weekend trip is estimated to cost the taxpayer $3.3 million and there have been seven such visits during Trump’s presidency so far. This doesn’t include daily overtime pay of $85,000 for county and city police officers when Trump is in town or the costs to local businesses when roads and airways are closed.

Trump seems likely to spend more on travel in his first year in office than Obama spent in his entire 8 years as president. The irony will doubtless be lost on Trump who frequently criticised Obama for his travel costs.

There are of course massive conflicts of interest in Trump’s use of his ‘Winter White House’ as can be seen by the increase in the membership fee of the Mar-a-Lago Club from $100,000 to $200,000 in January 2017 upon Trump taking office.

Incidentally, the lady who built Mar-a-Lago, Marjorie Merriweather Post, bequeathed the house to the nation in 1973 but successive presidents declined to use it so it reverted to Post’s estate. Five years later, using underhand tactics, Trump bought the place for $7 million, a fraction of what it was worth.

Comfort in familiar surroundings. Which could be good. Eavesdroppers would not expect that.

Thanks all. Here is an article from the BBC on the cost of weekend visits to Mar-a-Lago and the negative impact it is having on not only the US taxpayers, but the locals. The negative Butterfly Effect of Trump’s actions is astronomical.

He can eat where he wants. So can you and I.

@MollyMcGuire Great! We’re all coming over to your place for dinner tonight.

Seriously though, it’s one thing when the bill is paid for out his pocket, which in this case, isn’t. The government picks up the tab, which means the US taxpayers.

I’m hearing it’s a tax deduction when he does business at his properties, such as Mar a Lago. It’s been, so it’s nothing new (the tax deduction for him) part.

@jca Does that mean that President Trump is footing the bill and taking a deduction?

I’m sure he’s not footing the bill for security, food, etc. He’s providing the venue (Mar a Lago) and getting a deduction for doing business where he lives, the same way a car used for business would be a deduction or if you used your house as an office or something, depending on circumstances, might be a deduction.

I’m not sure. Mar A Lago isn’t his private residence. I’m sure it’s operated under a company (or even two or more because often times, the restaurant is a separate entity from the golf course and that is separate again from the accommodation business side.) The government isn’t a registered charity (yet) so there wouldn’t be a tax deduction there. I’m pretty sure it all goes on the government’s dime.

@cazzie: My info came from a CPA/CFP.

I think they meant write it off as an expense, then, which is very different than writing it directly off your taxes like you would if you gave to a charity. (If that is what he is doing.) I just read an article from NPR. It said that the company was picking up the tab to avoid blatantly breaking the emolument’s law, but that it was costing the tax payer in security and travel costs on both a federal level and a local level because local law enforcement has to be involved and that’s an extra cost on those Florida citizens of ‘Little Marco’.