Trump home florida

In 1973, cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post donated her 128-room Palm Beach mansion to the U.S. government to be used as the "winter White House." Post, who had inherited the Postum Cereal Company from her father and who then went on to become America's richest woman, finished building Mar-a-Lago in 1927 at a cost of $7 million (that equals to about $120 million today).

Architects Marion Sims Wyeth and Joseph Urban designed the estate, which sits on 20 acres that border the Atlantic Ocean on one side and Florida's Intracoastal Waterway on the other. (Wyeth also designed the Florida governor's mansion in Tallahassee).

Post willed her home to the American government upon her death with the intention that it be used as a warm-weather retreat for the president. But in 1981 the government returned Mar-a-Lago, which had been declared a National Historic Landmark a year earlier, to the Post Foundation, citing its high annual maintenance cost of $1 million.

Enter Donald Trump. The mogul's reported first offer for the property—$28 million—was turned down. But he persisted and the market slumped. Trump ended up getting the property for the relative bargain price of $5 million in 1985, and paid an additional $3 million for Post's antiques and furniture.

(In addition to Mar-a-Lago, Post had a considerable real estate portfolio that included an Adirondacks retreat, a Long Island mansion, a yacht she designed herself that was the largest privately-owned yacht at the time, and a Washington, D.C estate, Hillwood, that is now a house museum containing her extensive collection of jewelry, Sèvres porcelain, Fabergé, and French masterpieces.)

Mar-a-Lago's Living Room In 1967

Trump turned Mar-a-Lago into a private club in 1995 and built a 20,000-square-foot ballroom with $7 million in gold leaf. He commandeered a coat of arms that British authorities in 1939 had granted to Joseph Edward Davies, Post's third husband, then replaced "Integritas," the Latin word for integrity, with "Trump. " He also spent $100,000 on four gold-plated sinks. Basically, much like his Fifth Avenue penthouse, there is gold everywhere you look. (When Trump is in residence, he and his family stay in a private wing of the house.)

Donald Trump with his then-wife Ivana and staff at Mar-a-Lago in 1987

"I have 24 acres in Palm Beach and nobody has anything like that," Trump said at a show jumping event there in 2014. "A big house is on one acre. I have 24. It's the great estate of Palm Beach." (Technically, Mar-a-Lago is on 20 acres.)

In 2016, Anthony Senecal, Trump's former butler and Mar-a-Lago's unofficial historian, offered up some secrets to the New York Times, describing the library as, "paneled with centuries-old British oak and filled with rare first-edition books that no one in the family ever read." (Senecal was also investigated by the Secret Service for threatening comments he made on Facebook about President Barack Obama. )

Trump hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with the locals over his plans for Mar-a-Lago. He has fought the town of Palm Beach over the size of its American flag. The original, installed in 2006, was on an 80-foot pole though Palm Beach ordinances forbid flag poles to be higher than 42 feet; a violation carries a daily fine of $250.

Getty Images

Trump sued for $25 million, claiming his right to free speech was being violated. Ultimately he and the town came to an agreement: he switched to a smaller flag posted on a 70-foot pole. And instead of paying fines, he donated $100,000 to veterans' charities.

In 2015, he sued Palm Beach County again for what he called "deliberate and malicious" moves to direct departing flights from Palm Beach International Airport over Mar-a-Lago. The suit was dropped after the election, obviously, since now there is a Secret Service-mandated no-fly zone over Mar-a-Lago when Trump is in residence.

When he opened Mar-a-Lago, Trump welcomed Jewish members, African-Americans, and gay couples, who had been prohibited from joining other Palm Beach clubs. Club members reportedly used to pay a $100,000 initiation fee and annual dues of $14,000 (along with taxes and an annual food minimum of $2,000) for the privilege of using the facilities. Following Trump's victory, the inauguration fee went up to $200,000.

It is, by most accounts, a profitable business. Trump made $15.6 million from the club in 2014. His first year in office, he made $25.1 million. Last year, that number dipped slightly to $21.4 million.

The Beach Club is on the Atlantic Ocean side of the property.

To date, Trump has spent 133 days at the property while in office. He took his first trip there as POTUS for the Red Cross Ball in early February 2017 and hosted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the following weekend. Mar-a-Lago is where he was when he announced Lieutenant General H. R. McMaster as his pick for national security advisor, authorized a missile strike on Syria, and hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for a two-day summit. According to the Government Accountability Office, four trips the president took to Mar-a-Lago in 2017 cost taxpayers at least $13.6 million.

President Trump hosted a dinner for President Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil at Mar-a-Lago in March. Three attendees later tested positive for the coronavirus.

In March, Mar-a-Lago temporarily closed its doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Three visitors, including a press secretary to Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro, had tested positive for the coronavirus after visiting the club for an event hosted by the President Trump.

Earlier this month, a team of Miami Herald journalists published The Grifter's Club: Trump, Mar-a-Lago, and the Selling of the Presidency, an investigative account of the "Winter White House" and all of the business and governmental dealings—ethical and not—that take place within its walls. Among its tales of palace intrigue: Trump reportedly banned the infamous sex offender Jeffrey Epstein from Mar-a-Lago after the latter hit on a teenage daughter of a member.

PublicAffairs The Grifter's Club: Trump, Mar-a-Lago, and the Selling of the Presidency

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In any case, it's apparent that Trump feels more comfortable at Mar-a-Lago than almost anywhere else. He most certainly prefers it over the White House. At Mar-a-Lago, he can let loose and be himself, unbound by strict D.C. protocols and unbothered by scores of aides and handlers.

He also has more friends down there, as opposed to, say, in Manhattan, where Trump—a lifelong New Yorker—is extremely unpopular. In fact, in September 2019, he and the First Lady changed their primary residence from Manhattan to Palm Beach, where, presumably, he could pay lower taxes—and feel more welcome. He explained his decision on Twitter, saying, "I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state."

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Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York didn't miss the opportunity to express his feelings about the move. "Good riddance," he tweeted. "It's not like [Trump] paid taxes here anyway. He's all yours, Florida."

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Sam Dangremond

Contributing Digital Editor

Sam Dangremond is a Contributing Digital Editor at Town & Country, where he covers men's style, cocktails, travel, and the social scene.

Leena Kim

Associate Editor

Leena Kim is an associate editor at Town & Country, where she writes about travel, weddings, arts, and culture.

Photos Show What It's Like Inside Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club

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• Former President Donald Trump made official his plan to run for president again.
• He made the announcement at his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach, Florida, his gilded getaway.
• Here's a look inside the exclusive resort that the public doesn't get to see.

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Former President Donald Trump announced his intent to run for a second presidential term at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump had teased a third run for the executive office for several months before the anticipated announcement. Several of Trump's advisors have reportedly advised him against announcing his intent to run so early.

In August, the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago searching for classified records that Trump did not return to the National Archives and Records Administration after his presidential term ended.

"These are dark times for our Nation, as my beautiful home...is currently under siege, raided, and occupied by a large group of FBI agents," the statement read.

During Trump's presidency, the exclusive resort was often referred to as "the winter White House."

Now, it's just his house.

Following the end of his presidential term, Trump decamped to the ornate resort. Reports in 2020 of construction work at the family's on-property living quarters and Melania Trump touring a local school (presumably for son Barron) stoked rumors of the move long before it was official. Neighbors even publicly spoke about wanting Trump to stay away, though it clearly didn't deter him.

Mar-a-Lago has hosted a number of high-powered visitors over the years, as it has seemingly always served as the Trump family's gilded weekend getaway. Mar-a-Lago has served as a lavish backdrop to host important dignitaries with its elaborately decorated halls. It was built to impress.

Case in point: the property was closed for 57 days amid the pandemic after visitors like the press secretary to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Brazil's Chargé d'Affaires Ambassador Nestor Forster tested positive for the coronavirus in March 2020.

Here's a look inside the sprawling complex, which was built in the early 20th century, where the Trumps have hosted opulent holiday parties and watched Super Bowls alongside members of the exclusive private club.

The Mar-a-Lago Club is a 20-acre estate with 128 rooms. The heiress to Post Cereal built it in 1927.

Source: Town and Country Magazine

It spans the entire width of the island Palm Beach is located on, stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway.

Source: Google Maps

Today, it serves as the Trump family's opulent playground, but is also open to people who purchase a membership at the club.

Source: Palm Beach Daily News

Back in the 1990s, memberships cost $50,000, but they soared to $200,000 after Trump's election.

Source: Palm Beach Daily News

Members also have to pay a $14,000 annual fee, with a $2,000 dining minimum.

Source: Palm Beach Daily News

Members can access the club's pools, beaches, dining halls, and private rooms. They can also rent out the resort for events like weddings, bar mitzvahs, and charity galas.

Source: Mar-a-Lago

Trump has also used it to host numerous campaign events and publicity events, like the one pictured below, which was held in Mar-a-Lago's giant ballroom.

Source: Time

For most people, access to the club stops at its gated entrance.

Source: Mar-a-Lago

Those who do make it inside are treated to a detailed portico that leads into the main building, which features neo-Gothic and Andalusian accents.

Source: Mar-a-Lago

Once inside, ornate decor reminiscent of European palaces accompanies pricey antique furniture.

Source: Mar-a-Lago

Here, the president and first lady Melania Trump used the cavernous library to make calls to children on Christmas Eve in 2017.

Source: The White House

Not all of the rooms are so lavish. This interior room is where Trump gathered with his advisers to order 2017's missile strikes in Syria in response to what the US said were President Bashar al-Assad's chemical attacks on his own people.

Source: Business Insider

Trump has also hosted world leaders at the resort, including Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan.

Source: Business Insider

In February 2017, Trump got into a bit of hot water when he discussed national security details with Abe in full view of the resort's other guests.

Source: Business Insider

Trump used Mar-a-Lago's luxurious interior to full effect when Xi visited the complex. As usual at Mar-a-Lago, bouquets were everywhere. Reports later found that such flowers cost the US government $6,000 — with the entire visit totaling more than $35,000.

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider

In 2018, Trump also welcomed the Chinese president's delegation in a royal neo-Baroque hall at Mar-a-Lago.

Source: Sun-Sentinel

Not a detail was amiss for the visit, including the elaborate place settings

Source: Palm Beach Daily News

The food at events like these is prepared by a team of expert chefs.

#foodporn • crested lamb chops • #momsbirthday • #trump #dinner #birthday #palmbeach

A post shared by Oleg Kouznetsov, MBA 🇺🇦 #MAGA (@olegkouz) on May 6, 2015 at 5:38pm PDTMay 6, 2015 at 5:38pm PDT

Source: Palm Beach Daily News

But not all of it is up to fine dining standard: In January 2018, a customer was disappointed when she was served caviar with plastic spoons, with allegedly "low-budget" crackers to accompany it.

I hate to do this, but this is a total #disgrace , #shame on #maralago , you can’t serve caviar with plastic spoons! Please offer your caviar with mother of pearl spoons and dishes! Wait until you see the accompaniments. ..#horriblepresentation no THIS WAS NOT THE EVENT. It was the restaurant.FYI I do not hate Mr. President - I think he is great. This posting was just about being disappointed in the caviar presentation from a beautiful place with beautiful people.

A post shared by Maria Rogers (@vacayinbae) on Jan 21, 2018 at 7:19am PSTJan 21, 2018 at 7:19am PST

Source: Business Insider

Trump's taste is evident throughout his palatial second home.

Source: Town and Country Magazine

Because of its flat terrain and open air access, Trump can fly in on his own helicopter.

Source: Palm Beach Daily News

If the club's multiple beaches aren't enough for guests, they can relax by the various pools on the property. It seems Trump and his security team have taken advantage of brief windows of downtime to do so.

Source: Mar-a-Lago

Mar-a-Lago has become synonymous with Trump's lavish lifestyle.

Source: Town and Country Magazine

The parties he holds there, like those on New Year's Eve and Super Bowl Sunday, last late into the night.

Source: Business Insider

In September 2019, Mar-a-Lago made headlines as one Jeffrey Epstein victim said she had been recruited directly from the resort in 1999 when she was 15.

Source: Business Insider, The New York Times

In September 2019, a Chinese businesswoman was convicted of trespassing on Mar-a-Lago with multiple cell phones and electronic devices. She was suggested to be a spy for the Chinese government and was ordered to be deported after her eight-month sentence.

Source: Business Insider, Business Insider

In February 2020, a 30-year-old opera singer from Connecticut named Hannah Roemhild was arrested after leading police on a high-speed chase through Palm Beach. Roemhild barreled through two security checkpoints at Mar-a-Lago in a black SUV that was shot at by police.

Source: Business Insider

Following the Trumps' exit from the White House in January, the family seemingly moved back to Mar-a-Lago to live full time.

Recent reports have surfaced about construction work being performed on the family's living quarters during Trump's final months in office. Sources close to the president told People in December that his 2,000-square-foot private residence at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach "will be expanded and spruced up."

Melania Trump also just toured the $35,000-a-year Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, ostensibly for their 14-year-old son Barron. It's a 40-minute drive south from Mar-a-Lago, but also has a campus in Boca Raton, which is 10 minutes closer to West Palm Beach.

Neighbors, however, aren't thrilled at the prospect and are even trying to keep him from taking up residence at Mar-a-Lago. The DeMoss family sent a letter pleading their case via an attorney. They claim that Trump cannot live at Mar-a-Lago because he signed an agreement to that effect around 30 years ago, around the time he transformed the estate into the members-only club it is today, according to the Washington Post, which obtained a copy of the letter. The signatories asked the town to step in and enforce the agreement.

Sources: New York Times, Business Insider, Washington Post, Miami Herald

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Why US protests could benefit President Trump? – DW – 06/04/2020

After street riots in Minneapolis Photo: picture-alliance/AP Photo/K. Nikouyeh

Politics

Sabrina Kessler

06/04/2020 June 4, 2020

Protests and riots in the United States are relentlessly exposing the social divide and racial divisions in the country. But President Trump could turn the situation to his advantage, some political analysts say. nine0005

https://p.dw.com/p/3dFZC

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Protests in the United States, which have been going on for days, are accompanied by riots and violence. From California to New York, from Minneapolis to the coast of Texas, police cars were on fire in more than 75 cities, looters were robbing stores. "These are no longer protests," says Eric Garcetti, the mayor of Los Angeles. "It's destruction."

The trigger for the riots was the death of 46-year-old George Floyd. An African American died in a police brutality in Minneapolis on May 25. Tragic, but, alas, far from being an isolated case in the United States on the basis of racism. Floyd's last words - "I can't breathe" - became the slogan of a nationwide protest movement the likes of which America hasn't seen in decades. Grief and indignation were replaced by anger and violence. nine0005

Pandemic catalyzes social inequality

Floyd's tragic death fuels a heated debate about social division in the US. The crisis that erupted as a result of the coronavirus pandemic has become a catalyst that has demonstrated even more clearly than before the inequality in society. For those who did not have a decent job, decent health insurance and savings for a rainy day before the epidemic, the virus hit in full force.

In the US, blacks and Hispanics were the first to be targeted. And it's not just about higher rates of infections and deaths among them. Basically, it was them, ordinary workers, who were immediately fired. While representatives of the white middle class for the most part switched to work in the "home office" mode - often with full pay. The pandemic relentlessly exposes America's social injustice.

"I think the country is going through the worst crisis since World War II," says Bonn-based political scientist and Americanist Christian Hacke. On the one hand, there is frustration in society, the cause of which is racism, which reappeared and took on more radical forms with the death of Floyd. On the other hand, the economic recession and domestic political problems of the United States. The inevitable consequences of the coronavirus pandemic are causing more and more Americans to despair. "The death of Floyd is just a spark that set the whole country on fire," says Hakke. nine0005

The driving force behind protests is people's frustration

"The driving force behind protests is people's frustration," says Dr. Bryant Marks, professor of psychology at Morehouse College, the traditional African-American university where Martin Luther King studied. "They feel hopeless and helpless. However, many police officers and other members of the American public do not understand this."

But the protests were also a testament to the fact that it's not just America's people of color who are screaming their frustration to the world. Among the predominantly young demonstrators, there are also many white, often well-to-do Americans who are just as disappointed. We are disappointed with a country that does not prevent police violence and racism, but condones it. A country run by a trickster president with no political alternative.

"When you see Joe Biden on TV, he looks decrepit, like he's been kept in a basement for years. You get the feeling that he doesn't have the mental capacity to handle everything," says Hakke. President Trump, on the other hand, looks rather vital, but his narrow-mindedness and narrow-mindedness only exacerbate the crisis. Trump does not unite, but from the moment he takes office he has been splitting the country, lying to it and appealing to the basest instincts. The assassination and riots further accelerated the transition from the American Dream to the American Nightmare. "America is being torn to pieces," says Hakke. nine0005

Trump failed to become president of all America

This seething American rage is not a new phenomenon, says Julis van de Laar, who lived in the US for many years and was a member of Barack Obama's campaign team. In 2007 and 2008, he served as a Democratic campaign staffer, and in 2012 led a voter mobilization campaign in key Ohio.

Even then society was polarized, police violence and racism were on the rise, van de Laar recalls. But discrimination against blacks has seldom been confirmed in such vivid examples as it is today. "The attacks are filmed, and the picture of what is happening leaves no ambiguity," says the political scientist. This footage suddenly became a symbol of all the manifestations of racism that America has been fighting for decades. nine0005 Protests could play into Trump's hands, some political analysts say Photo: imago images/ZUMA Wire/D. Mills

But all this plays into the hands of President Trump. He lives by pitting American citizens against each other. "Trump is the first president who sees himself as the president of only one group," van de Laar said. Instead of being the head of state for all Americans - whether they are black or white, poor or rich - he is primarily concerned about his predominantly white voters, hoping that they will help him win another presidential term in November. nine0005

However, Trump's inability to manage the coronavirus crisis has cost him a lot of points lately. He is now deliberately using a red herring to win them back, van de Laar says. His voter mobilization strategy is to polarize society. The sad thing, says the political scientist, is that Trump's strategy could be successful.

In times of crisis, Americans usually rally around their president. At the same time, Trump is in many ways the embodiment of a truly American spirit: a material, selfish, even ruthless sense of freedom and white arrogance, which, unfortunately, enjoys tacit approval to a much greater extent than Europeans can imagine, says political scientist Hakke. "I'm afraid that many whites are asserting themselves in their racism," he fears. nine0005

See also:

US protests and riots continue: what is Trump doing?

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CNN (USA): Trump's statement on Venezuela creates conditions for confrontation

InoSMI materials contain assessments of foreign media only and do not reflect the position of the InoSMI editorial staff

President's decision Donald Trump's decision to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as the country's interim president set the stage for this drama to intensify, which will reverberate through US domestic politics and create tensions in the region and beyond. CNN decided to figure out what is the reason for such a step by Trump. nine0005

Nicole Gaouette

Washington DC — President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido as interim president sets the stage for a dramatic escalation in tensions in the days ahead as forces inside and outside Venezuela step in. in the fight for her future.

Found in a difficult situation, President Nicolas Maduro, in response to Trump's statement, severed relations with the United States and ordered American diplomats to leave the country within 72 hours. This order could lead to a confrontation, although the White House dismissively called it "meaningless." nine0005

35-year-old Guaido swore himself in and announced that Maduro had been removed. True, analysts say that it is still completely unclear how inevitable the fall of the former bodyguard is, and whether Trump’s show of force will give any result.

Full speed ahead to escalation

Trump's announcement set the stage for this drama to escalate, which will reverberate through US domestic politics and create tensions in the region and beyond.

"This is a confrontational moment, and it seems to me quite likely to move full steam ahead towards an escalation," said Michael McCarthy, an American University research fellow and CEO of research and consulting firm Caracas Wire. nine0005

“The escalation will happen domestically and internationally as the Maduro regime will do everything it can to win the support of Beijing and Moscow,” McCarthy said. “These countries may not approve of Maduro’s leadership style, but they will oppose the United States and will not just step aside.”

Some countries, together with the United States, have decided to support Guaido, who has received recognition from Canada, Brazil, Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile and the Organization of American States. nine0005

But Guaido was not recognized by US adversaries China and Russia, as well as America's key ally Mexico. And the Turkish leader offered his support to Maduro.

President of the European Council Donald Tusk on Wednesday expressed support for Guaidó and called on all European countries to join him. The head of EU foreign policy named Guaido as president and called for the civil rights and freedoms of Guaido and all members of the National Assembly, as well as their security.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is signaling that it will support its political decision by force. nine0005

“Any course of action is possible,” Trump told reporters Wednesday when asked if he would use military force to secure the desired outcome in Venezuela. Any options, always. Any options are possible.

The first real confrontation may arise over American diplomats. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said the United States does not recognize Maduro as president, and therefore believes that he does not have the legal authority to expel members of the American foreign service. nine0005

Pompeo urged the Venezuelan military and security forces to "continue to protect the welfare and welfare of all Venezuelan citizens."

“We call on all parties to refrain from actions inconsistent with the privileges and immunities of members of the diplomatic corps,” Pompeo said in a statement. "The United States will take appropriate action to hold to account anyone who jeopardizes the safety of our diplomatic mission and its personnel."

The US embassy in Caracas has stepped up security and said protests could continue this week. It noted that American citizens in need of emergency assistance will receive it on Thursday, although visa processing will be suspended. The embassy asked U.S. government officials to limit their movements in certain areas and "on January 24, do not send children of preschool and school age to kindergartens and schools." nine0005

The White House said it was closely following the protests in Venezuela and the reaction of Maduro, who on Wednesday attacked the "gringo empire" from the balcony of the presidential palace, accusing it of attempting a coup d'état and saying that the United States is interested in Venezuela only oil, gas and gold.

Analysts say the next 48 hours will be decisive for both Venezuela and Trump, whose bravado may not lead to immediate change but will raise hopes for active US action, especially if the confrontation over US diplomats is not quickly resolved. nine0005

Florida Policy

“The recognition of Guaidó is a bold move that obliges Washington to take further action if the Maduro regime launches attacks on Guaidó and his supporters,” said the vice president of the Council of the Americas (Council of the Americas). Americas by Eric Farnsworth. “We must think that the coming days will be very turbulent and disturbing.”

According to McCarthy, one has to watch “where the sworn in new president will sleep tonight. Will they put him in jail? Will he be on a diplomatic mission in Caracas? Or maybe he will go to the USA? nine0005

Trump has long condemned American interference and American actions in other countries. Recently, he decided to withdraw the US military from Syria and Afghanistan. Therefore, analysts believe, the decision to intervene in Venezuelan politics is due in part to his domestic political considerations.

“I think it has a lot to do with Florida politics,” said Risa Grais-Targow, director of Latin America at the consulting firm Eurasia Group. This perpetually vacillating state has 29electoral votes, and people from Venezuela and other Latin American countries could have a significant impact on Trump's chances of winning those votes in the 2020 re-election campaign.

On Tuesday, Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and National Security Adviser John Bolton met at the White House with a delegation of Republican lawmakers from Florida, which included Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, member of House of Representatives Mario Diaz-Balart, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A congressional source told CNN that the decision was discussed at the meeting. nine0005

"What's good for Rubio and his constituency is good for Trump and Florida's voters as he thinks about 2020," Grace-Targow said. In 2016, Trump beat Hillary Clinton in that state by just 1.2 percentage points. “Florida will be a key state in 2020,” Grace-Targow said. “I’m sure Trump takes that into account.”

The White House's decision to spend political capital on the confrontation over Venezuela is also explained by the fact that the countries of the hemisphere have long been unhappy with the upheavals that Venezuela is creating, where the collapse of the economy caused a shortage of food and medicine, suffering of the population and flows of desperate refugees. nine0005

Something is missing

Farnsworth notes that Latin America has a special place in US foreign policy. “In general, support for democracy has been a top issue on the bipartisan agenda since the end of the Cold War,” he said. “In this region, more than anywhere else, democratic behavior is expected from the authorities, in part because strategic issues there are less important and critical than, say, in North Korea.”

Despite the position of the White House, which may lead to new US sanctions against Venezuela, there are no signs of an imminent departure of Maduro, which is confirmed by analysts. nine0005

Under these circumstances, Washington may be left with no choice but to slowly tighten sanctions, announce increased penalties already imposed on the mining sector, use targeted sanctions against the oil industry, freeze foreign assets, or gradually introduce import bans .

“U.S. support is important politically and symbolically, but something is missing to achieve regime change,” Grace-Targow said, pointing to the strong support that Maduro continues to receive from the state security apparatus and the military. nine0005

“He's been very clever all these years getting their support, for which he shares economic profits with them. Now the military has a service company in the oil sector,” Grace-Targow said. “Maduro knew that he would need the support of the military to strengthen authoritarian power, and therefore he is increasingly giving them positions in government so that they are interested in preserving the regime.”

The eternal question, said Grace-Thargow, is whether they will move away from him. nine0005

McCarthy noted that Trump's statement does not give Maduro's circle any incentive to leave their leader. “These people really have no reason to give up what they have, and recent events will not convince them of the need to get involved in building the future of the country,” he said. “In order to convince these people of the opposite, they need to be interested.”

According to McCarthy, amnesty promises are not very credible. Delivering his fiery speech on Wednesday, Maduro urged the military to remain united.

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