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Internet outraged after Trump used Bush memorial to promote Mar-a-Lago as the ‘Southern White House'

David Badash, The New Civil Rights M
April 21, 2018 3:32PM ET
Donald Trump stands before his luxurious Florida compound, Mar-a-Lago, where he has spent many weekends of his young presidency (AFP Photo/Don EMMERT)

91 years ago cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post completed construction on a Florida barrier island mansion she named Mar-a-Lago, "sea to lake," in Spanish. Donald Trump bought the 126-room property in 1985. Post had dreamed of it becoming the "Winter White House," and as President, Trump has tried to make that nickname stick.

Mar-a-Lago is Trump's private business, but he has made clear he sees no wall between his businesses and his role as president.

 He initially took to calling Mar-a-Lago the "Winter White House," but increasingly is referring to it as the "Southern White House." And many people are furious.

Unlike other presidential retreats, Camp David for instance, Trump owns Mar-a-Lago. And just like his other businesses, Trump uses his position as president to deliver free advertising for the property.

But as many have noticed, there's something implicitly sinister and racist about referring to Mar-a-Lago as the "Southern White House."

 There is only one White House. The Founding Fathers had made New York City and Philadelphia the home of the federal government at various times. But they wisely then made Washington, D.C., a point somewhat in the center of what then was the U.S., the capital.

Trump today tweeted he was interrupting his golf game to go watch the funeral of former First Lady Barbara Bush, and declaring it a "beautiful day!"

On Twitter, many expressed outrage, with some focusing on the racist "dog whistle" aspect of calling Mar-a-Lago the Southern White House, and others commenting on his monetization of the presidency for personal gain.

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