In a piece centered around President Trump’s special relationship with Mar-a-Lago, his opulent Florida club and preferred golfing destination, the Washington Post reports that President Trump not only solicits advice from the moneyed members of the place, but takes their opinions seriously.
“At Mar-a-Lago, anyone who can get within eyesight changes the game,” said a former White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss a sensitive subject, and referring to club members and guests who sometimes try the influence the president on policy, share an opinion on his administration or simply say hello. “Everyone who is angling for something knows to be there.
And later:
Trump often asks guests about foreign affairs or legislative accomplishments and solicits their opinions on certain aides or how the White House is doing. Earlier this year, Trump quizzed club members about the Paris climate accord and North Korea, one person familiar with his questions said. He has questioned Mar-a-Lago guests, alternatively, on the performance of former chief of staff Reince Priebus and former White House press secretary Sean Spicer, his news coverage, their opinions of Congress and his rally performances, according to several advisers.
As in so many other arenas, President Trump is doing something without clear precedent among the 44 men who came before him. All presidents have surely solicited the advice of private citizens from time to time. And sure, the Washington lobbying class is full of rich and connected insiders who wield undue influence on lawmakers. But that’s still a far cry from a billionaire simply buying access to the president via a hefty club admission fee, then urging him to bomb North Korea as he waits for his well-done hamburger. The whole arrangement is a clear breach of longstanding norms that an exhausted public and obedient Republican party
Reviewed by Unknown
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December 30, 2017
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