President Donald Trump announces plan to expand IVF access
President Donald Trump announced a plan to expand IVF access, including employer coverage option and major fertility drug discounts.
- President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit his Mar-a-Lago home in Palm Beach from Oct. 17-19.
- His visit will cause road closures, adjusted bridge schedules and temporary flight restrictions in the area.
- Trump is set to be the keynote speaker at a $1 million-per-plate fundraiser for the MAGA Inc. super PAC.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to return to Palm Beach Oct. 17-19 for his first visit since May.
As with his past trips as president to his Mar-a-Lago home, Trump’s time on the island will be felt in the form of road closures and changes to bridge opening schedules, along with a more visible law enforcement presence on the land and in the waters around Mar-a-Lago.
Trump is set to be the keynote speaker at a $1 million-per-plate fundraiser for super PAC MAGA Inc. on Oct. 17 at Mar-a-Lago, according to details shared with the Palm Beach Daily News.
His trip to Palm Beach follows one earlier in the week to Israel, where he spoke Oct. 13 to the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, following the announced release of the remaining Israeli hostages from the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. The hostage release was part of a U.S.-brokered prisoner swap and ceasefire.
Here’s what to know about President Trump’s weekend stay at Mar-a-Lago.
When will Trump be in Palm Beach?
Trump is expected to arrive at Palm Beach International Airport after 5 p.m. Oct. 17, then leave before 6:30 p.m. Oct. 19, according to a schedule released by the White House and the temporary flight restrictions issued by the Federal Aviation Administration.
This will be Trump’s 11th visit to Palm Beach since his Jan. 20 inauguration, and his first ahead of Palm Beach’s busy social season. He most recently came to Palm Beach May 1-4.
When will the road next to Mar-a-Lago close?
South Ocean Boulevard next to Mar-a-Lago, between the Southern Boulevard traffic circle and the intersection with South County Road, will close to through-traffic starting at 5 a.m. Oct. 17 and remain closed until further notice, Palm Beach officials said in an alert.
Those who live, work and are visiting homes within the area affected by the closure will be allowed in after providing identification, and they can enter and exit only through the north security checkpoint at South County Road, officials have said.
What effect does Trump’s visit have on bridges?
When Trump returns, bridge schedules are adjusted as part of security zones set by the U.S. Coast Guard around Mar-a-Lago.
The Flagler Memorial and Southern Boulevard bridges will have similar opening schedules:
- Monday through Friday: From 7:30 to 9 a.m., the bridge will open on the quarter-hour; from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., the bridge will open on the quarter and three-quarter hour; from 2:15 to 6 p.m., the bridge will open on the quarter-hour; and from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., the bridge will open on the quarter and three-quarter hour.
- Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays: The bridge will open on the quarter- and three-quarter hour.
The Southern Boulevard Bridge also may close without notice to allow for motorcades to pass uninterrupted, the Coast Guard has said. Because the bridge-opening times are staggered, the Royal Park Bridge’s schedule when Trump is in town is different from the schedule for the other two bridges:
- Monday through Friday: From 7:30 to 9 a.m., the bridge will open on the half-hour; from 9 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., the bridge will open on the hour and half-hour; from 2:15 to 6 p.m., the bridge will open on the half-hour; and from 6 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., the bridge will open on the hour and half-hour.
- Saturday, Sunday and federal holidays: The bridge will open on the hour and half-hour.
How will Trump’s visit affect pilots?
The VIP-level temporary flight restrictions issued by the FAA for presidential travel — any president, to any location in the U.S. — include a set of rules for aviators to follow. Pilots who don’t follow those rules could be penalized or even intercepted by F-16 fighter jets.
The “VIP movement” flight restrictions issued for Trump’s visits to Palm Beach include two rings of protection.
The inner ring is a 10 nautical mile radius where most flights are banned with the exception of approved law enforcement and air ambulance or other emergency flights, and regularly scheduled cargo and commercial passenger jets, according to FAA advisories. All emergency operations have to coordinate with air traffic control before take-off.
More movement is allowed with the 30 nm radius area, or outer ring, of the temporary flight restrictions. Aircraft can pass through but “not loiter,” FAA advisories say. All aircraft that do pass through the outer ring must have a specific flight plan filed with air traffic control, which will issue the plane a code. The pilot has to stay in contact with air traffic control throughout their time passing through the restricted area, the FAA says.
Is there a No Kings protest planned for Palm Beach?
There is not a No Kings protest planned on the island. One is scheduled just across the Intracoastal Waterway in West Palm Beach from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 18.
There will be about 2,500 “No Kings” protests on Oct. 18, according to the No Kings website. That includes more than 80 protests in Florida.
While the address for the West Palm Beach protest is private, parking details on the event website indicate it will take place outside of or near the Target on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard in West Palm Beach. People who sign up for the protest will receive more details, organizers said on the event page.
How is Palm Beach preparing for Trump’s arrival?
Palm Beach will coordinate with the Secret Service, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and other partners to make sure there is a traffic plan whenever Trump returns to Palm Beach, Town Manager Kirk Blouin said.
Town officials worked with PBSO and the Secret Service in the off-season to fine-tune the road closure next to Mar-a-Lago, Blouin said. It’s a plan the town, federal and regional officials have been working on since 2016 when Trump was elected to his first term in the White House.
“It’s gotten better,” Blouin said. “Each year, the plans have gotten more defined.”
The town does receive some complaints from people who need to access the security zone, and those comments are passed along to the appropriate agency, whether that is PBSO or the Secret Service, Blouin said.
“There’s always initial frustration” when the road is closed, he said. It will be a disruption, but the effects on traffic should not be as bad as when South Ocean Boulevard next to Mar-a-Lago closes during season, Blouin said.
Road work elsewhere in town could add to the congestion, but the town will work to mitigate any issues that could arise, he said.
“In our discussions with PBSO and the Secret Service, they did assure us that they’ll try to make it as efficient as possible, meaning closing the road at the appropriate times,” Blouin said.
With so many dynamics in play, including construction and the possibility of unscheduled bridge openings or another issue that backs up traffic elsewhere on the island, the town does its best to plan accordingly, Palm Beach Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Ogrodnick said.
“We’re planning ahead and we’re putting resources in place,” he said.
Palm Beach’s population has grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, but as a barrier island, the town has not been able to grow as well, Ogrodnick said. “We do the best we can, and we just ask for patience,” he said.
Town residents, visitors, business owners and employees can sign up at townofpalmbeach.com for Palm Beach’s alert system to receive notifications about road closures and detours.
C. A. Bridges of the USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida contributed to this report.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
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