No night at The Plaza
New first family’s 1st getaway to Camp David
Camp David is the place to be for a suddenly pastoral-minded President Trump.
The first family headed on its first visit Saturday to the secluded, low-key presidential retreat in Maryland. It was also the first weekend trip in Trump’s presidency that he traveled to a property that he does not own.
The 125-acre government-owned property outside Washington, DC, dotted with a dozen guest cabins and threaded with hiking trails, is a far cry from the luxe surroundings of Trump resorts like Florida’s Mar-a-Lago, where the president has spent the bulk of his downtime during his first five months in office.
But 11-year-old Barron Trump, who boarded Marine One with his parents Saturday morning, should find plenty to keep him busy, from bowling to skeet shooting to swimming in the property’s hourglass-shaped pool.
The first lady’s parents, Viktor and Amalija Knavs, came along for the trip.
Every president since Franklin D. Roosevelt has used Camp David, tucked into a military reserve in the Catoctin Mountains, as an escape from the pressures — and the summer heat — of DC.
The property, a 70-mile, 20-minute helicopter ride from the White House, has hosted summit meetings and foreign dignitaries for decades.
The Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt were negotiated in its wood-paneled cabins under President Jimmy Carter, and George W. Bush gathered his Cabinet there after the 9/11 terror attacks.
Roosevelt met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill there in 1943 to review plans for the invasion of Normandy. George H.W. Bush hosted a 100-guest Camp David wedding for his daughter Dorothy in 1992.
“Everything that a president needs in the White House is built-in there,” said Anita McBride, who was First Lady Laura Bush’s chief of staff.
“You have military support. You have a place to house your staff if you choose to use it. It is immediately available.”
And it’s cost-effective too. As a military installation, Camp David is protected year-round, easing the burden on the Secret Service.
Barack Obama visited the cloistered compound only 39 times during his presidency — far less than any other recent president.
Trump, famous for his love of posh surroundings and gilded decor, was expected to follow suit.
“Camp David is very rustic. It’s nice. You’d like it,” Trump told a European journalist shortly before he took the oath of office. “You know how long you’d like it? For about 30 minutes.”