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Friday, Nov 28, 2025
Outside the box.
Trump Heads to Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving as Palm Beach Prepares for Holiday Security Restrictions
President and First Lady depart Washington for their Florida estate ahead of Thanksgiving amid road closures and airspace curbs
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump left the White House on Tuesday evening for their Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, marking the start of their Thanksgiving holiday stay.
Their departure came after the annual White House turkey-pardoning ceremony and coincides with local authorities instituting road closures and temporary air-travel restrictions in Palm Beach to accommodate the trip.
Local officials announced new traffic controls along South Ocean Boulevard and a temporary flight restriction zone over the island, affecting residents and travellers alike.
The moves follow adjustments earlier in 2025 when a no-fly buffer around Mar-a-Lago was expanded.
Some neighbours and frequent travellers expressed frustration over increased noise, soot and disrupted flight paths, citing degraded quality of life and dropping property values in historically quiet neighbourhoods.
Despite the inconvenience for residents and travellers, the resort remains a focal point of the president’s travel schedule: this marks the latest in a series of weekend and holiday visits to Mar-a-Lago during his second term.
The tradition underscores the estate’s role not only as a private residence but also as the president’s preferred retreat and policy-planning base during holiday periods.
The White House noted the move is part of longstanding presidential custom, and local authorities said the restrictions would remain in effect through the holiday weekend.
Residents, while acknowledging security needs, have called for clearer communication and faster resolution of the noise and disruption tied to repeated closures and flight diversions over the island.
Their departure came after the annual White House turkey-pardoning ceremony and coincides with local authorities instituting road closures and temporary air-travel restrictions in Palm Beach to accommodate the trip.
Local officials announced new traffic controls along South Ocean Boulevard and a temporary flight restriction zone over the island, affecting residents and travellers alike.
The moves follow adjustments earlier in 2025 when a no-fly buffer around Mar-a-Lago was expanded.
Some neighbours and frequent travellers expressed frustration over increased noise, soot and disrupted flight paths, citing degraded quality of life and dropping property values in historically quiet neighbourhoods.
Despite the inconvenience for residents and travellers, the resort remains a focal point of the president’s travel schedule: this marks the latest in a series of weekend and holiday visits to Mar-a-Lago during his second term.
The tradition underscores the estate’s role not only as a private residence but also as the president’s preferred retreat and policy-planning base during holiday periods.
The White House noted the move is part of longstanding presidential custom, and local authorities said the restrictions would remain in effect through the holiday weekend.
Residents, while acknowledging security needs, have called for clearer communication and faster resolution of the noise and disruption tied to repeated closures and flight diversions over the island.
