The Trump Organization has secured a monumental victory in South Florida with the final approval of its ambitious $3 billion development project at Trump National Doral Miami. This approval, granted by the Doral City Council in January 2025, represents not just a significant business achievement for the Trump family empire but also symbolizes the continuing intersection of Donald Trump’s business interests and political influence during his return to the presidency. The development project, which will transform portions of the expansive golf resort into luxury residential towers, marks a new chapter for both the property and the surrounding community, while raising questions about the relationship between presidential power and private enterprise in the contemporary American landscape.
The Evolution of Trump National Doral Miami
The Trump National Doral Miami resort has long stood as one of the crown jewels in the Trump Organization’s portfolio of luxury properties. Originally purchased by Donald Trump in 2012 for approximately $150 million, the property has undergone significant transformations under Trump family stewardship3. Following the acquisition, the Trump Organization invested an additional $250 million in renovations to elevate the resort’s amenities and overall appeal to high-end clientele1. The 600-acre property has established itself as a premier destination featuring a hotel and four championship golf courses, including the renowned Blue Monster course, which has challenged professional and amateur golfers alike with its notorious water hazards and demanding layout3.
The resort’s evolution represents a microcosm of the Trump business approach: acquiring underperforming assets with potential, investing substantially in upgrades and rebranding, and leveraging the Trump name to attract wealthy patrons and enhance property values. This strategy has been applied consistently across Trump’s real estate portfolio, from hotels and residential buildings to golf courses and commercial properties throughout his business career. The Doral property, with its proximity to Miami International Airport and location within the growing Miami metropolitan area, presented a particularly promising opportunity for expansion beyond its original conception as primarily a golf destination.
Over the years, the Trump Organization has methodically developed plans to maximize the property’s potential, recognizing the opportunity to capitalize on South Florida’s booming real estate market. This strategic vision culminated in the ambitious proposal to add residential and commercial components to the resort, transforming it from solely a golf destination to a comprehensive luxury living community that would attract permanent residents seeking the Trump lifestyle experience.
The Comprehensive Development Plan
The newly approved development represents a massive expansion of the Trump National Doral property’s scope and economic footprint. According to documents and statements from project representatives, the plan encompasses the construction of 1,498 luxury condominium units and approximately 142,000 square feet of commercial space across multiple high-rise towers1. This mixed-use approach aligns with contemporary urban development trends that combine residential, commercial, and recreational components to create integrated lifestyle communities.
The project’s architectural vision, designed by the firm of Pascual, Perez, Kiliddjian, Starr, calls for the construction of four 20-story towers that will dramatically alter the skyline of Doral1. Additional reports indicate the possibility of five towers in total, along with townhouses that would provide alternative housing options within the development3. This variety of housing types is intended to appeal to different segments of the luxury market, from those seeking high-rise condominium living with panoramic views to individuals preferring more traditional ground-level residences.
What makes this development particularly notable is that it represents the Trump Organization’s first branded residential project in South Florida1. While the Trump name has adorned numerous properties throughout the region, including the famous Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, this marks the first ground-up residential development bearing the Trump brand in one of America’s most competitive luxury real estate markets. The significance of this entry into the South Florida residential development space cannot be overstated, as it represents a major expansion of the Trump Organization’s business model in the region.
The development will be constructed in carefully planned phases, with the first phase consisting of approximately 300 condominium units1. This phased approach allows the Trump Organization to manage construction logistics more effectively while also adjusting future phases based on market response to the initial offerings. Such flexibility is crucial in the often volatile luxury real estate market, where economic conditions and buyer preferences can shift rapidly.
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The Approval Process and Political Dynamics
The path to securing approval for the Trump Doral expansion was notably protracted and politically complex. As Felix Lasarte, the Miami-based attorney representing the Trump development company, wryly observed, “It actually took Trump less time to become president again than it did for me to get this thing approved”5. This comment highlights the bureaucratic and political hurdles that the project faced, even with the Trump family’s considerable influence and resources.
The approval process involved multiple votes and extensive negotiations with local officials. In August 2024, the Doral City Commission narrowly approved an initial vote to change the zoning requirements that would allow for the planned condominiums and retail development3. This preliminary approval was not without controversy, passing by a slim 3-2 margin, with Doral’s mayor at the time among those voting against the proposal. The zoning change required additional clearance through a final vote scheduled for September 2024, representing just one of many regulatory hurdles the project needed to overcome.
The political dynamics surrounding the approval process took an interesting turn as Donald Trump’s presidential campaign gained momentum. In a notable development, Doral’s Republican mayor, Christi Fraga, who had initially opposed the project and was up for re-election in November 2024, appeared at a Latino-focused Trump campaign event held at the Doral resort5. During this event, Trump publicly acknowledged and thanked Fraga, saying, “You’ve been great, thank you so much for everything”5. This public expression of mutual support illustrated the intertwining of local politics with national presidential politics, particularly when the presidential candidate also happens to be a major local developer and employer.
By January 2025, following Trump’s electoral victory and just days before his inauguration, the political landscape had shifted significantly. On January 17, 2025, the Doral City Council voted 4-0 to approve the Trump Organization’s development plans5. Mayor Fraga, who had previously opposed the project, voted in favor, citing “concessions about traffic flow and the Trumps’ collaborative attitude” as factors influencing her changed position5. This unanimous approval represented a remarkable turnaround from the divided vote just months earlier and occurred during the transition period between Trump’s election victory and his assumption of the presidency.
The final approval came on January 18, 2025, securing all necessary permissions for the Trump Organization to proceed with its ambitious development plans1. This timing, just two days before Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, created a symbolic bookend to the transition period between private citizen and president, with Trump entering the White House having just secured a major business victory.
Economic Impact and Investment Scale
The Trump Doral development represents a massive investment in the local economy and real estate market. With an estimated construction cost between $2.5 billion and $3 billion, the project ranks among the largest private development initiatives in South Florida35. This substantial financial commitment demonstrates the Trump Organization’s confidence in both the South Florida real estate market and its ability to attract luxury buyers to the Trump brand.
The economic impact extends beyond the direct construction costs to include job creation, increased property tax revenues for local governments, and spillover effects for surrounding businesses and property values. As Eric Trump, who leads the Trump Organization alongside his brother Donald Trump Jr., stated, the Doral project will “be incredible for home values and great for the community all around… It’s going to be a world class development”3. This assertion highlights the Trump Organization’s positioning of the project not merely as a profit-generating venture but as a community enhancement that will raise property values throughout the surrounding area.
The luxury positioning of the development is evident in its pricing strategy, with condominium units expected to start at $2 million3. This price point clearly targets the upper echelon of the real estate market, appealing to wealthy domestic and international buyers seeking branded luxury living. As Lasarte observed, “If you go to Doral, it’s a nice suburban community, then when you go inside that country club, the people that visit it are very wealthy people… I think this is going to be an opportunity to capitalize on that”3. This statement reveals the strategic thinking behind the development: leveraging the existing prestige and clientele of the golf resort to create a permanent residential community that extends the Trump luxury lifestyle experience.
Sales for the condominiums are expected to begin in 2025, with the timeline dependent on permitting and other regulatory processes3. Given the project’s scale and complexity, full build-out will likely extend over several years, with the phased approach allowing for adjustments based on market conditions and buyer response.
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Presidential Transition and Business Interests
The approval of the Trump Doral development occurred during a critical period of transition in Donald Trump’s career, as he prepared to return to the presidency after his election victory. This timing raises important questions about the relationship between Trump’s business interests and his presidential responsibilities, a topic that generated significant controversy during his first term from 2017 to 2021.
Unlike many previous presidents who placed their business interests in blind trusts or otherwise divested to avoid potential conflicts of interest, Trump maintained ownership of his business empire during his first presidency while delegating day-to-day management to his adult sons. This arrangement drew criticism from ethics experts and political opponents who argued it created inherent conflicts between Trump’s personal financial interests and his presidential duties.
As Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, similar questions resurfaced. The Doral approval, coming just days before his inauguration, exemplified the continuing intermingling of Trump’s business and political identities. While the approval process followed legal procedures and occurred before Trump officially resumed presidential powers, the timing and circumstances—including the reversal of opposition from local officials who had publicly aligned with Trump’s presidential campaign—created at minimum the appearance of political influence affecting business outcomes.
The presence of Eric Trump at the approval meeting, “posing for photos and taking questions from a group of young girls in the local scout troop,”5 further emphasized the Trump family’s simultaneous engagement with both business and public affairs. This dual role, with family members serving as both business executives and informal presidential surrogates, continues to blur the traditional boundaries between private enterprise and public service that have characterized most previous administrations.
Executive Actions and Economic Policy
Upon taking office on January 20, 2025, President Trump immediately began issuing executive orders that reflected his policy priorities. While these actions were separate from his business dealings, they provide important context for understanding the broader economic and political environment in which the Doral development will proceed.
One of Trump’s most consequential early executive actions was Executive Order 14169, titled “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid,” which ordered a 90-day pause on all U.S. foreign development assistance programs to conduct a comprehensive review2. This order reflected Trump’s longstanding skepticism toward foreign aid and preference for prioritizing domestic spending. The order stated that “United States foreign aid industry and bureaucracy are not aligned with American interests and in many cases antithetical to American values. They serve to destabilize world peace by promoting ideas in foreign countries that are directly inverse to harmonious and stable relations internal to and among countries”2.
On January 24, 2025, the State Department implemented this order by suspending all existing foreign aid programs, with limited exceptions for emergency food assistance and military aid to Egypt and Israel2. By January 28, the exemptions were expanded to cover “humanitarian programs that provide life-saving medicine, medical services, food, shelter and subsistence assistance”2. However, the exemptions specifically excluded “activities that involve abortions, family planning conferences, administrative costs [that are not reasonably used in life-saving aid], gender or DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) ideology programs, transgender surgeries, or other non-life saving assistance”2.
This restrictive approach to foreign aid exemplifies Trump’s “America First” philosophy, which prioritizes domestic interests and traditional values over international commitments and progressive social initiatives. This perspective likely resonates with many potential buyers of Trump-branded real estate, who may share these political and social values, further reinforcing the synergy between Trump’s business brand and political identity.
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Middle East Policy and International Relations
Beyond domestic economic policy, Trump’s return to the presidency has had immediate implications for international relations, particularly regarding the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. In early February 2025, Trump weighed in on the situation in Gaza, threatening to pause aid to U.S. allies Jordan and Egypt if they refused to accept Palestinian refugees being relocated from Gaza4.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on February 10, 2025, Trump stated that he could “conceivably” withhold aid from these two Arab states if they didn’t accept resettled Palestinians from Gaza4. This statement came after Egypt’s Foreign Ministry had rejected “any compromise” that would infringe on Palestinians’ rights4. The timing was particularly significant as King Abdullah II of Jordan was preparing for the first official trip by an Arab leader to the United States since Trump’s inauguration.
Trump’s 90-day USAID funding freeze had already impacted Jordan significantly, as the country is one of the top recipients of humanitarian assistance from the U.S. aid agency and struggles with a weak economy and high unemployment4. This approach to leveraging financial assistance as a diplomatic tool represents a continuation of Trump’s transactional approach to international relations, where support is conditioned on specific actions rather than based on long-standing alliances or humanitarian principles.
Regarding the ongoing ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas, Trump took a firm position, stating that if all hostages held in Gaza weren’t returned by midday Saturday, the ceasefire agreement should be canceled4. While acknowledging that the ultimate decision rested with Israel, Trump warned that “all hell is going to break out” if the remaining hostages weren’t released4. This hardline stance on the hostage situation demonstrates Trump’s willingness to support decisive and potentially escalatory actions in conflict zones, a position that contrasts with more diplomatic and measured approaches favored by some international relations experts.
The Miami Real Estate Market Context
The Trump Doral development is occurring within the context of South Florida’s dynamic and evolving real estate market. Miami and its surrounding communities have experienced substantial growth and investment in recent years, driven by favorable tax policies, climate advantages, and migration trends accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The region has attracted wealthy individuals and families from higher-tax states like New York, California, and Illinois, as well as international buyers seeking safe investments in U.S. real estate.
Doral itself has transformed dramatically over recent decades from a primarily industrial area to a growing residential community with a significant Latin American population. Its proximity to Miami International Airport makes it particularly attractive to international buyers and investors with global mobility needs. The Trump National Doral resort has been a landmark property in this evolution, attracting wealthy visitors who may now consider permanent residence in the planned luxury towers.
The timing of the development coincides with a period of continued growth in South Florida’s luxury real estate market, despite challenges such as rising insurance costs and concerns about climate change impacts. The Trump Organization’s substantial investment indicates confidence that demand for high-end branded residences will remain strong, particularly among buyers who align with Trump’s political brand and business reputation.
The development also occurs against the backdrop of increasing competition in the branded luxury residence segment, with numerous luxury hotel and lifestyle brands offering residential products that promise exclusive amenities and lifestyle experiences. The Trump brand, with its distinctive identity and loyal following, positions this development differently from competing luxury offerings, potentially attracting buyers specifically drawn to the Trump name and its associated values and aesthetics.
Implications for Future Development
The successful approval of the Trump Doral expansion may signal increased receptiveness to large-scale development projects during Trump’s second administration. If federal regulatory requirements for development are relaxed through executive orders or agency actions, as many real estate industry observers anticipate, projects like the Doral expansion could face fewer bureaucratic hurdles and potentially accelerated timelines.
For the Trump Organization specifically, the Doral approval may represent just the beginning of an aggressive growth phase, as the company leverages the renewed prominence of the Trump name to launch new developments and expand existing properties. With Trump family members continuing to lead the organization while their father serves as president, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on the brand’s increased visibility and political connections.
The development also raises questions about future Trump-branded projects in international markets, particularly in regions where Trump has cultivated relationships with government leaders. While the Trump Organization announced a pause on new international deals during Trump’s first term to avoid potential conflicts of interest, it remains to be seen whether similar restrictions will be self-imposed during his second term or whether the company will pursue global expansion opportunities.
Conclusion: Business Success Amid Political Power
The approval of the Trump Doral development represents a significant victory for the Trump Organization, securing permission for a $3 billion project that will transform one of its flagship properties and potentially generate substantial profits for years to come. The timing of this approval, occurring during Trump’s transition back to presidential power, highlights the continuing intersection of Trump’s business interests and political influence.
While the development proceeded through normal legal channels and received approval from local officials through established processes, the context of Trump’s simultaneous return to the presidency creates inevitable questions about the relationship between political power and business advantage. The reversal of opposition from previously skeptical local officials, coinciding with Trump’s presidential campaign and victory, suggests at minimum the perception of political considerations influencing business decisions.
As the Trump Organization proceeds with developing the Doral property, and as President Trump implements his policy agenda through executive orders and other actions, the boundaries between Trump the businessman and Trump the president will continue to be tested and scrutinized. The Doral approval may serve as just one example of how these dual identities interact and potentially reinforce each other during Trump’s second term.
For residents of Doral and the broader Miami area, the development promises economic benefits through construction jobs, increased property values, and enhanced commercial activity. For the Trump Organization, it represents a major expansion of its residential portfolio in one of America’s most desirable real estate markets. And for observers of American politics and business ethics, it provides a case study in the complex relationship between presidential power and private enterprise in contemporary America.
The Trump Doral development, approved in the twilight days between private citizen and president, stands as a symbol of the Trump approach to both business and governance: bold, ambitious, and fundamentally transformative of existing landscapes, whether physical or political.
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