(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) In the wake of last month’s attempt on former President Donald Trump’s life and a slew of threats, local government officials in Palm Beach, Florida, were considering shutting down access to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago home and resort, allegedly for “safety” reasons, the Palm Beach Daily News reported.
The Palm Beach Council met on Monday, directing city staff to investigate ways to handle the closure of a section of South Ocean Boulevard near Trump’s home that the Secret Service mandated following the July 13 the assassination attempt.
Nobody from the general public is allowed through without passing a number of security checkpoints along the way.
Palm Beach’s Council expressed concerns that its upcoming fall “social season”—and its associated crowds and congested traffic—might cause the town to become even more chaotic.
In order to deal with the issues, the council floated the idea of closing off access to Mar-a-Lago altogether—despite the fact that it remains an active resort with paying member, and that Trump often hosts large parties.
According to Mayor Danielle Moore, such a maneuver would be necessary for the good of the town.
“In my mind, if the road is closed, the Mar-a-Lago Club is closed,” said Moore, who is a registered Republican, according to Florida voter records.
“There’s no way in God’s green earth that they can bring 350 people into that club,” she added. “It’s completely illogical that you’ve got a road closed and then you’re going to let 350 strangers into your club.”
Council member Julie Araskog expressed concerns about the safety of residents, who feel endangered by road closures due to potentially slower emergency-response times.
“Our residents don’t feel safe right now,” Araskog said, noting that she has received calls from residents who have had difficulty getting caretakers and other staff through the checkpoints.”
Araskog said it was particularly difficult to get firetrucks through the various checkpoints.
According to city staff, the issues may be ongoing, as the relevant section of South Ocean Boulevard will be closed off minimally through the general election on Nov. 5.
