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Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago private club in Palm Beach is set to raise its initiation fee from $700,000 to a staggering $1 million.
The former president and Republican nominee in 2024 made the revelation in an extensive interview with Bloomberg Businessweek a few days before the fateful debate with President Joe Biden.
When Mar-a-lago’s long-serving managing director came by during the course of the interview, Trump said “with pride” that the club was upping its fee by $300,000 in October and opening four slots for new members.
The increased fee could be an indication of the rising value of being near Trump as he looks poised to possibly return to the White House.
Trump bought Florida’s Mar-a-Lago in 1985, converting it into a private club nine years later. It has been his primary residence since 2019 when he officially left New York and became a Florida resident. During his time as president, he hosted world leaders at the club such as the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Chinese President Xi Jinping. On July 11, Trump hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the club.
Biden’s debate performance shocked many as he appeared confused and frail. Trump has taken the lead in multiple polls following the debate – in FiveThirtyEight’s polling average, he leads Biden by 2 percentage points as of Wednesday.
“The debate certainly had a big impact,” he told Bloomberg on July 9, just four days before the assassination attempt at a rally.
Trump was struck by a bullet in his right ear before he was quickly covered by Secret Service agents. Two people, including the gunman, were killed in the shooting and two people were critically injured.
“A lot of the states are just starting now to come out, and it shows a very big swing,” Trump told Bloomberg after the debate.
The former president was asked if his opponent should step aside as the Democratic nominee.
“That’s a decision he has to make,” he said. “But I do think our country is in great danger whether he stays in or drops out.”
