Trump Is Now A Resident Of Florida, Ending Long Relationship With New York
President Donald Trump and his wife, first lady Melania Trump, changed their primary residence to Florida last month, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.
“I hereby declare that my above-described residence and abode in the State of Florida constitutes my predominant and principal home, and I intend to continue it permanently as such,” Trump wrote in a declaration of domicile document, which was filed in Florida’s Palm Beach County.
The Trumps wrote that their private residence at the president’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach would be their permanent home. Their previous primary address had been Trump Tower in Manhattan. The pair listed the White House and the president’s club in New Jersey as additional addresses.
The decision was likely for tax purposes, according to an unnamed person close to the Trumps, the Times reported. Residents of Florida pay far lower income taxes, and the state does not have an inheritance tax on those with wealth greater than $10.1 million.
It’s unclear how beneficial the move will be for the president and his children, since Trump has so far refused to hand over his tax returns and give the public insight into how much wealth he actually has. The Manhattan district attorney has filed a subpoena to obtain those documents as part of an investigation into Trump’s alleged hush-money payments, but Trump’s attorneys have repeatedly sued to block the release of his returns.
A judge ruled last month that Trump couldn’t cite broad executive authority to claim a sitting president couldn’t be investigated, and ordered that eight years of Trump’s tax returns be handed over to state prosecutors. But Trump’s attorneys quickly filed an appeal, shielding the returns for the immediate future.
The Times notes that the Trumps’ official change in residence should have no impact on that case.
The president and first lady’s residency swap to Florida prompted some immediate reactions from top officials in New York.
“Good riddance,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), a frequent critic of the president, tweeted late Thursday. “It’s not like @realDonald Trump paid taxes here anyway…”
“He’s all yours, Florida,” the governor continued.
The president posted a string of tweets later Thursday about his breakup with New York, indirectly responding to Cuomo’s earlier jab at Trump’s taxes.
“I cherish New York, and the people of New York, and always will, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I have been treated very badly by the political leaders of both the city and state,” Trump tweeted. “Few have been treated worse. I hated having to make this decision, but in the end it will be best for all concerned.”
This article has been updated with Trump’s Twitter response.
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