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Melania Trump departs for Mar-a-Lago as shutdown looms

Posted at 8:23 PM, Dec 21, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-21 20:23:37-05

President Donald Trump isn’t traveling Friday because of a looming government shutdown, but First Lady Melania Trump is on her way to Mar-a-Lago for the holidays.

“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,” the first lady’s spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham told CNN.

Because she is a member of the first family, Melania Trump must fly on government aircraft, which is operated by the military.

An official familiar with the plans say the President may still make the trip at a later time.

The President had planned to spend 16 days at his Palm Beach resort, which he’s styled as the “winter White House.”