Trump exchanges luxurious for ‘rustic’ in picking Camp David for weekend trip
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump chose simple over swanky this Father’s Day weekend.
Nearly five months into his presidency, Trump flew for the first time Saturday to Camp David, the government-owned retreat in Maryland’s Catoctin Mountains. A frequent weekend traveler, Trump has favored his palatial residences in Florida and New Jersey over the wooded hideaway.
Few expect the luxury-loving leader to make this a regular thing. After all, Trump told foreign newspapers earlier this year that Camp David was “very rustic” and “you know how long you’d like it? For about 30 minutes.”
Trump’s wife, Melania; their son, Barron, and the first lady’s parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, joined the president for an overnight stay at Camp David. Trump was to return to the White House on Sunday.
Presidents have been going to the refuge about 70 miles from the White House for seven decades. A short drive from the town of Thurmont, Md., Camp David covers more than 125 acres, with a cabin for the president and about a dozen cabins for guests. There are tennis courts, a heated swimming pool, a bowling alley and a movie theater.
“Everything that a president needs in the White House is built in there,” says Anita McBride, who was first lady Laura Bush’s chief of staff.
Going to his properties incurs additional security expenses, unlike a trip to Camp David, which is protected year-round as a military installation.
Ken Walsh, chief White House correspondent for U.S. News & World Report, wrote about presidential getaways in his book “From Mount Vernon to Crawford: A History of the Presidents and Their Retreats.” He said many presidents have liked the freedom and security offered by Camp David. But he said of Trump: “I don’t think it is his style. I’d be surprised if he went up there very much.”