As President Donald Trump marks his 100th day as president on Saturday, we're looking back at some of the top moments from his trips to his Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.
Here are some of the top Palm Beach Post articles from Trump’s first 100 days in office and his seven trips to Palm Beach as president.
» Statecraft & controversy: A fifth of Trump’s first 100 days in Florida
How these were chosen: Since Trump took office, we’ve tracked which stories have been most-popular on our website. This list includes stories that received the most page views, along with stories that prompted the most reader feedback.
Credit: Lynne Sladky
Credit: Lynne Sladky
1. What China’s first lady, Bak child chatted about during visit
As President Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Mar-a-Lago on April 7, the first ladies of the U.S. and China drove to Bak Middle School of the Arts in West Palm Beach. They spent about an hour at the school, where they talked with students about their work and listened to musical performances.
2. Feds: 12 planes violated Trump air space over weekend
At least 12 aircraft violated temporary flight restrictions during Trump’s four-day Presidents Day trip to Palm Beach in February, with at least five of those having the unique experience of being buzzed by military aircraft, federal officials confirmed to The Palm Beach Post. One of those violations prompted the North American Aerospace Defense Command to send two F-15 fighter jets at supersonic speeds from Homestead, just south of Miami. The resulting sonic boom was heard throughout Palm Beach and Broward counties.
3. Trump, Sessions mingle with guests at Mar-a-Lago
Exclusive Palm Beach Post photos of Attorney General Jeff Sessions at Mar-a-Lago in March went viral, as they came in the wake of Sessions’ recusal of his involvement in any investigations into Russia’s meddling in the 2016 presidential election.
4. Why did Russian oligarch pay so much for Trump’s mansion?
Why did a Russian oligarch pay now-President Donald Trump$95 million for his Palm Beach mansion? Almost a decade later, the answer is less clear than it was at the time of the sale, the largest price paid for a Palm Beach home.
This prompted two more stories:
5. What did Lake Worth do to earn Trump’s Twitter thanks?
In the morning hours of April 23, the president took to Twitter — as he often does — to thank a local city for its support. “Thank you Lake Worth, Florida,” read the tweet, sent at 10:07 a.m. What prompted the thank-you message? A segment on “Fox and Friends.”
6. Inside look as Trump and family attends church, Mar-a-Lago Easter celebration
Social media posts and Palm Beach Post staff photos provided a look at how the president and his family spent Easter Sunday in Palm Beach.
7. Thousands of anti-Trump protesters march to Mar-a-Lago
Chanting “Hey-hey, ho-ho, Donald Trump has got to go,’’ 3,000 protesters marched down Flagler Drive on Feb. 4 in a loud but mostly orderly display of discontent that shattered the usual calm of the city’s south end neighborhoods.
8. Trump’s Easter: Twitter, church, brunch, egg hunt, wheels-up to D.C.
As the president departed Palm Beach following his seventh trip to the area since taking office, The Post looked back at his day in Palm Beach, which included Easter service at the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea.
9. Tale of two Mar-a-Lagos: What a difference 24 hours makes
Palm Beach Daily News Society Editor Shannon Donnelly provided an exclusive view into Mar-a-Lago’s dining room less than 24 hours after security locked the area down while Trump ate dinner with China’s President Xi Jinping.
10. Trump in Palm Beach: Syria strike OK’d at Mar-a-Lago
Trump ordered U.S. missile strikes in Syria from his tropical castle and wrapped up a summit with China's president — the latest examples of the private Mar-a-Lago Club being the setting for consequential events in Trump's young presidency.
11. What we can learn from Trump’s first 100 tweets in office
As president-elect, Trump said he'd be "very restrained" in his use of Twitter once he took the oath of office. But 100 tweets into the Trump presidency, the @realDonaldTrump Twitter feed remained a freewheeling electronic space where the new commander in chief pushed back at the media, tossed bouquets and brickbats, made 140-character policy arguments, warned leaders from Iran to Chicago, and promoted his upcoming TV appearances and unsubstantiated voter-fraud theories.
12. Tiny Lantana braces for Chinese president: ‘Traffic nightmare’ expected
Ahead of the early-April visit to Palm Beach County by China’s president, Lantana officials prepared for an influx of Chinese officials, protesters and supporters. China’s president and his delegation had to travel through the tiny town while staying at the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan. Nearly all public beach parking was shut down during the visit, and officials grappled with how best to be ready for the “traffic nightmare.”
13. George Bennett’s Presidential Golf Tracker
On his Post on Politics blog, Palm Beach Post reporter George Bennett has kept a running tally of each time Trump visits one of his golf courses in Palm Beach County.
14. First lady Melania Trump visits girls at HomeSafe in Lake Worth
The first lady made an unannounced trip on April 14 to the local group home for victims of abuse and domestic violence. Trump spoke with several of the girls, and brought Easter baskets and stuffed bunnies for other children at HomeSafe residences.
15. Trump steers clear of ‘tax march’ as hundreds protest near Mar-a-Lago
Several hundred protesters got within sight — and perhaps earshot — of Mar-a-Lago on April 15 to demand Trump release his income tax returns, part of a series of nationwide marches.
16. Local tab for Trump’s Palm Beach visits closing in on $4 million
Before Trump’s seventh trip to Palm Beach — which followed his summit with China’s president — the estimated costs by local agencies to protect Trump were approaching $3.7 million, according to a Palm Beach Post analysis.
17. First lady Melania Trump, Akie Abe tour Morikami gardens
While Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe played golf at Trump’s course in Jupiter, their wives accompanied one another to the Morikami Japanese Museum and Gardens in suburban Delray Beach.
18. Official: Tax Mar-a-Lago owner to help pay for cost of Trump visits
Trump has taken to calling his Mar-a-Lago spread on Palm Beach the “winter White House.” Palm Beach County Commissioner Dave Kerner wonders if it should have another name: “municipal service benefit unit.”
19. Inside look as President Trump attends Red Cross Ball
The president and first lady kicked off their first post-inauguration weekend at Mar-a-Lago by walking the red carpet into the annual Red Cross Ball. The Post provided a look inside and details on the event’s history at Mar-a-Lago.
20. Palm Beach announces Trump traffic plan through May
To grapple with the gridlock that ensues when Trump spends time at Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach town officials rolled out a traffic plan in early February.
More coverage of Trump’s first 100 days
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