I’m getting out of this shut show! Melania flees Washington for a Mar-a-Lago family Christmas

I’m getting out of this shut show! Melania flees Washington for a Mar-a-Lago family Christmas leaving her husband to deal with shutdown crisis alone

  • The first lady is heading to Mar-a-Lago with her son Barron
  • President Trump had to cancel his planned Trump with a partial government shutdown hours away 
  • Her office cited family tradition of Mar-a-Lago Christmas
  • Trump private aircraft already spotted in West Palm Beach
  • FAA flight restriction was lifted following Trump’s cancellation
  • The president could still fly down if a border wall standoff is resolved 

Her husband’s administration was locked in yet another shut down standoff with Congress, but first lady Melania Trump taken off for Mar-a-Lago without him.

President Donald Trump had to cancel his planned Friday departure for his luxury property in Florida after he walked away from a plan to fund the government and resumed demands to fund a border wall.  

But the first lady isn’t waiting around for lawmakers to agree on either a permanent or even a temporary funding solution. 

‘It has long been the family’s tradition to spend their Christmas holiday at Mar-a-Lago. Her plans to travel with her son to their Florida home for his winter break have not changed this year,’ spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham said, CNN reported. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!  First Lady Melania Trump headed to Mar-a-Lago while her husband President Trump is marred in a government shutdown battle with Congress

She was en route Friday evening even as Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner  

The president was planning for a 16-day getaway, which would have been his longest as president, but that does not appear to be happening.

The FAA cancelled its flight restrictions for the area Friday afternoon following President Trump’s decision, the local CBS affiliate reported. 

The White House has not offered official guidance on the president's holiday plans, but they are a badly kept secret inside of Palm Beach and Washington

The White House has not offered official guidance on the president’s holiday plans, but they are a badly kept secret inside of Palm Beach and Washington

WEEKEND GETAWAY? President Donald Trump planned to spend 16 days over the holidays at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida over the holidays

WEEKEND GETAWAY? President Donald Trump planned to spend 16 days over the holidays at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida over the holidays

IT'S LONELY AT THE TOP: President Trump tweeted an image of himself alone at his desk after his wife took off for Mar-a-Lago

IT’S LONELY AT THE TOP: President Trump tweeted an image of himself alone at his desk after his wife took off for Mar-a-Lago

President Trump, Melania Trump, and Barron Trump arrive in Florida for Thanksgiving

President Trump, Melania Trump, and Barron Trump arrive in Florida for Thanksgiving

President Trump could still fly to Florida at a later date

President Trump could still fly to Florida at a later date

The Secret Service secures the area whenever Trump goes to Mar-a-Lago

The Secret Service secures the area whenever Trump goes to Mar-a-Lago

It noted that a Trump aircraft was spotted on the tarmac at Palm Beach International Airport, suggesting other Trump family members may have gotten a jump on the family holiday tradition.

Even before an apparent budget deal blew up, senior aides understood Trump would not be able to leave town with thousands furloughed and the government partly closed before Christmas. 

‘I haven’t talked with him about it. My understanding is that if there’s a shutdown tomorrow that he’ll still be here,’ senior aide Stephen Miller, who helped pioneer Trump’s hard-line immigration policies, told CNN Thursday.

An alert issued by the Federal Aviation Administration warns pilots to avoid the airspace over Mar-a-Lago from Dec. 21 to Jan. 6 but does not indicate when Air Force One will arrive or depart the Palm Beach International Airport, The Palm Beach Post reported. 

Even if he misses a day or two, the president could still find himself with plenty of time to golf, though the White House describes his trips as a working vacation. 

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