In the wake of Donald Trump's response—or lack of response—to the white supremacist march and terrorist act in Charlottesville, charity groups continue to distance themselves from Trump by canceling their planned events at his Florida golf resort, Mar-a-Lago. The Palm Beach Post reports:
[T]he Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society and MorseLife both announced a change of venue for their annual Palm Beach fundraisers, from the Mar-a-Lago Club to – well, not the Mar-a-Lago Club. That brings to 19 the number of charities that have decided to leave Mar-a-Lago in recent months, many in the past week.
The defections leave only the Palm Beach Police Foundation’s Policeman’s Ball and the Achilles Freedom Team of Wounded Vets “Spirit of America” holiday gala as remaining at the presidential retreat.
Charities and other groups have been under pressure since the election to cancel their Mar-a-Lago events because, since the venue is owned by Donald Trump, their actions serve to directly profit Trump even as he serves in public office. This is an egregious ethical violation on his part—if not an out-and-out avenue for bribery.
Still, each of these charities held fast to their plans to do business at Mar-a-Lago until Trump's most recent "both sides" pronouncements. It was only in the last week that the pressure to distance themselves from Trump's self-proclaimed "Winter White House" proved too much to ignore.