Trump is moving from Florida to New Jersey and Republicans will follow – Business Insider

Former President Donald Trump is leaving Florida to avoid the swampy summer months.

Trump left his beachside Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach and as of Friday is at his golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, according to a Republican source close to the former president who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Before leaving, Trump did a TV interview from Mar-a-Lago on Thursday evening with the Miami Spanish-language station MegaTV. He's leaving South Florida just as the area is facing a tropical storm warning throughout the weekend.

Trump's move north means much of the Republican political braintrust will follow. GOP political hopefuls have flocked to Mar-a-Lago, holding fundraisers and other events there as they hope to get some face time with Trump and perhaps even land a coveted endorsement.

Now, Bedminster will become the new go-to spot for the GOP.

Trump's post-presidential office didn't reply to questions about the change in scenery or confirm that he had arrived in Bedminster. Last year, Trump left Mar-a-Lago for the summer on Mother's Day.

But political meetings are already set. Several US House members from the conservative Freedom Caucus will meet with Trump in Bedminster on Tuesday, Politico first reported.

Melissa Braid, spokeswoman for the House Freedom Caucus, told Insider that the group would be meeting to "discuss its continued efforts to defeat the Democrats' radical socialist agenda, and advance conservative America First policies."

The meeting will also happen two days before the House's January 6 Select Committee will begin holding public hearings about the 2021 attack at the US Capitol that attempted to thwart the certification of President Joe Biden's election victory.

Trump, 75, a perennial snowbird, has for two decades escaped to Florida during the north's frigid winter months and then returned north as the summer season kicks off. He's expected to remain in Bedminster until the early fall.

Mar-a-Lago's main Club closed for the season after its annual Mother's Day brunch, but its Beach Club was open until Memorial Day, as is customary before the season's long humid wave and ahead of hurricane season.

Mar-a-Lago is expected to reopen for a big party on Halloween weekend, said a second Republican source who frequently attended events at the club and spoke on condition of anonymity after speaking with a current club member. Tiffany Trump, the former president's younger daughter, is planning to have her wedding at Mar-a-Lago on November 12.

Florida is Trump's permanent post-presidential home and where he votes, and Trump often called it the "Winter White House" when he was still in office. His Bedminster club will put him just 45 miles west of New York City, another major donor power center and where he used to live before running for office.

Political events are lucrative for the Trump organization, which has received millions of dollars over the years for hosting fundraisers. Insider also reported that the Secret Service has spent about $2 million to stay and dine at Trump properties since he became the 2016 GOP nominee.

Trump has often made appearances at various Mar-a-Lago events, sometimes even to delight his guests by acting as DJ for the evening. One of his favorite songs to play a regular at his campaign rallies is "YMCA," he said on the "Full Send Podcast."

The former president often hints that he'll seek the White House again in 2024 and has raised significant cash for his two political action committees, Save America and the Make America Great Again PAC.

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Trump is moving from Florida to New Jersey and Republicans will follow - Business Insider