The crown jewel of President Donald Trump’s hotel and golf resort empire is feeling the effects of a pandemic he made worse. Mar-a-Lago, which ordinarily would be in high season, is being shuttered as vacationers and high society alike stay home due to the coronavirus crisis.
It’s not just Mar-a-Lago that is closing.
In recent days, the Trump Organization cut staff from hotels in New York and Washington, halted new reservations at a hotel overlooking the Las Vegas Strip and closed golf courses in Los Angeles and the Miami area,” The New York Times‘s Eric Lipton and others report. “It also closed the Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, which normally would be at a peak right now, with regular seasonal visits by Mr. Trump himself.”
The Trump family has not lead by example. They have refused to close their businesses unless state or local governments demanded it, despite the coronavirus pandemic, which President Trump has said is a hoax.
“Eric Trump, the president’s son who manages the family business, said the company was trying to limit shutdowns,” The Times reports.
“As an organization we are following federal, state and local direction and guidance very carefully,” he told the Times.
Mar-a-Lago was shut down on Monday for a day of deep cleaning, after at least three Brazilian government officils who were in contact with President Trump later tested positive for coronavirus.