State Dept. website highlights history of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

The official website of the State Department’s embassy and consulates in the United Kingdom features a blog post dedicated to the history of what it calls President Trump’s “Winter White House.”

The blog, posted on April 5, details the history of the Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and notes that the founder willed the estate to the U.S. government in 1973. Founder Marjorie Merriweather Post “spared no expense” when constructing the resort in 1927, it continues, and she intended it to be used by U.S. presidents to “entertain visiting foreign dignitaries.”

{mosads}It also says President Trump is “belatedly fulfilling the dream of Mar-a-Lago’s original owner and designer” by using the resort to host foreign leaders like China’s Xi Jinping.

The history was originally posted on ShareAmerica, described as State’s “platform for sharing compelling stories and images that spark discussion and debate on important topics like democracy, freedom of expression, innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and the role of civil society.”

The web page does not make clear, however, that the federal government returned the resort to Post’s estate or that Trump purchased the resort in 1985. Trump’s critics have raised questions since his inauguration about conflicts of interest that could benefit his business holdings while he’s in office.  

{mosads}Trump has also faced criticism — even from fellow Republicans — for his time spent at the private resort as president. Trump has spent seven of the past 13 weekends at his Florida resort.

Mar-a-Lago initiation fee has doubled to $200,000 following Trump’s election.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) tweeted at the State Department on Monday, asking, “Why are taxpayer $$ promoting the President’s private country club?”

Yes, I am curious @StateDept. Why are taxpayer $$ promoting the President’s private country club? pic.twitter.com/IlPhUlvMwa

— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) April 24, 2017