Is Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago In The Path Of Hurricane Milton? Here's What We Know

Florida is bracing itself for a follow-up to Hurricane Helene as Hurricane Milton makes its way toward the state. On October 8, 2024, a public advisory from the National Hurricane Center and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said, "While fluctuations in intensity are expected, Milton is forecast to remain an extremely dangerous hurricane through landfall in Florida."

Former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club is based in Palm Beach County, Florida, and it's been in the news before due to the FBI raid of Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence. As of this writing, Palm Beach County is not in Milton's forecasted path; neither is Miami-Dade County. Trump's properties in those two counties may not be hit with the brunt of Milton's force, but both are under a state of emergency. Citizens should still be on alert and prepared to evacuate if need be.

Sarasota, Florida, where Trump Media offices are located, is in Milton's projected path. The building isn't owned by Trump, but he has the biggest stake in the company, which runs the Truth Social social media platform.

Truth Social launched in 2022, and the platform had fledgling beginnings. Donald Trump has continued using it religiously — though other members of the Trump family have not used it nearly as much. As of this writing, Trump has not commented on the Trump Media office being in Hurricane Milton's forecasted path. However, following Hurricane Helene, Trump spewed lies about the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

At a Butler, Pennsylvania rally on October 5, Trump said, "They're offering them $750 to people whose homes have been washed away. And yet we send tens of billions of dollars to foreign countries that most people have never heard of" (via NPR). NPR explained that Serious Needs Assistance from FEMA is a $750 payment for what is immediately necessary for survival, but that is not all FEMA can provide in the wake of a disaster.

Trump also claimed the government, under President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, did not have enough money to help those affected by Hurricane Helene. At a Saginaw, Michigan rally on October 3, he said, "They stole the FEMA money, just like they stole it from a bank, so they could give it to their illegal immigrants that they want to have vote for them this season" (via The Guardian). Non-citizens cannot vote except in certain local elections, and a press release from the White House disproved Trump's other claim: "No money is being diverted from disaster response needs. None." Trump also tried to erroneously say the hurricane damage was purposefully worse in conservative-leaning areas.