The Real Reason Trump Is So Angry About Mar-A-Lago Renovations

When it comes to some people, there is no accounting for taste — but then again, all taste is subjective from the start. And when one refers to the concept of "taste," sometimes it can mean a person's preferences for interior decorations, and other times it's describing an unseemly action. When it comes to recent reports from the Florida-based private golf club and resort Mar-a-Lago — where President Donald Trump has been staying on and off since losing to President-elect Joe Biden in a bid for a second term in November 2020 — the question of taste might be in the eye of the beholder. 

As CNN first described in a report published on Dec. 29, 2020, recent renovations made to Trump's private quarters at the members-only establishment, located near the city of Palm Beach, caused his mood to reach a point of immediate, "darkened" malaise, per an anonymous source close to his inner circle. The renovations in question — which CNN described as a palette that "consisted of white marble and an abundance of dark wood" — irritated the soon-to-be-former president to such a degree that he asked for them to be immediately removed. The unnamed insider also disclosed that the newly installed décor prompted "several loud, one-sided conversations with club management."

So, who was behind the aesthetic overhaul of Trump's personal Mar-a-Lago quarters? And have any other goings-on at the resort possibly contributed to his supposed fury? Let's take a look.

As CNN reported on Dec. 29, 2020, the masterminds behind the interior remodel of Donald Trump's private quarters at Mar-a-Lago were none other than his wife, first lady Melania Trump, and her personal interior decorator Tham Kannalikham. Melania, who doesn't exactly have the best track record when it comes to taste in décor, purportedly collaborated solely with Kannalikham to execute the renovations. She reportedly did not consult the club staff for any of the redesign, which in addition to President Trump's personal residence at the resort, also included other areas within the Mar-a-Lago property.

Unfortunately for FLOTUS, her efforts to refurbish were not to Trump's liking, to put it lightly. As Business Insider noted, the lame duck president immediately ordered staff to tear out the newly implemented décor, which they did so immediately. (As of the time of this writing, there is no word on how Melania, who isn't exactly known for her outspokenness, reacted at the time.)

While Trump's reaction to the decorative overhaul at his favorite private golf club might seem like a one-off (and to some, very much in character), it might be within the context of a much larger picture — at least when it comes to Mar-a-Lago, that is.

If it seems like the name "Mar-a-Lago" has been in the news a little more frequently lately, it's because, it, well, has. The Florida property — which became President Donald Trump's official domicile in 2019 — has been his unofficial headquarters ever since his failed re-election bid. (As Forbes noted in a Nov. 11, 2020 article, data shows that golfing trips made by Trump since being sworn into office in 2017 have cost an estimated $142 million in taxpayer money, with $59 million of that total spent specifically on trips to Mar-a-Lago via Air Force One.)

His most current stay — which began on Dec. 22, 2020 (per CNN) — has a bit more of an event-based purpose: preparation for a New Year's Eve bash, which an estimated 500 guests are expected to attend. While it is unclear as to whether the area where the event will be held was one redecorated by first lady Melania Trump, the scramble to tear down her décor might have something to do with Trump's reaction to the renovations in the first place. (As Business Insider noted, there is no word as to whether any measures will be put in place to stave off the possibility of a coronavirus superspreader event.)

Unfortunately for Trump, that's not the only reason that could've informed his reaction to Melania's renovations.

Though it still remains unclear as to whether Donald Trump will refuse to leave the White House after President-elect Joe Biden's upcoming inauguration on Jan. 20, 2021, there have reportedly been strong indications that Trump's plans post-presidency will involve a permanent move to his favorite private resort, Mar-a-Lago. But unfortunately for the departing president, a number of factors might throw a wrench into his plans.

For one thing, there's the fact that residents of the Palm Beach community don't exactly want him there. As The Washington Post first reported on Dec. 17, 2020, a visible contingent of the Palm Beach population issued a petition against Trump for a possible permanent move, specifically to the private resort, stating it would be in violation of a contract and deal he made in 1993. (At the time, the nearly decades-old promise was made in an effort to turn the property, which was a then-private residence owned by the Trump Organization, into a private commercial resort; it does not prevent Trump from living anywhere else in the Palm Beach vicinity.) 

The petition, which was composed in order to "avoid an embarrassing situation" — the scenario of legally evicting a former president — was met with opposition by the Trump Organization, who denied the existence of the contract, per Miami's CBS affiliate.