NEW YORK _ President Donald Trump _ who said he could step out of his Fifth Avenue home, shoot someone, and not lose any voters _ is forsaking Manhattan for the warm ocean breezes of Palm Beach, Fla.
Trump, who was born in Queens and proud of his image as a savvy Manhattan real estate mogul, in September filed papers in Palm Beach County Court saying he will make his Mar-a-Lago resort his "permanent home." First lady Melania Trump filed a similar document.
Both Trumps reported they also maintained homes at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington _ the White House _ as well as 900 Lamington Rd. in Bedminster, N.J., site of the Trump National Golf Club. The Trumps listed 721 Fifth Ave. _ Trump Tower _ as a place they "formerly resided."
The documents filed in the West Palm Beach courthouse give no reason for the move.
Unlike New York, Florida has no state income tax, and its 6% sales tax is less than the combined city and state levies of 8.875% charged in New York City. And Trump's support for scaling back the deductibility of state and local taxes from federal income taxes has made New York even more expensive for high earners.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had an answer for that one on Thursday night.
"Good riddance," Cuomo tweeted. "It's not like he It's not like @realDonaldTrump paid taxes here anyway."
New York investigators are trying to obtain Trump's state tax returns _ which he has never made public.
Although Florida leans more Republican than New York, Trump won't find friends everywhere in the Sunshine State _ the U.S. House member who represents Palm Beach, Lois Frankel, is a Democrat who backs Trump's impeachment.
Trump hasn't visited New York much since he became president in 2017.
A tally by NBC News says he's spent 99 days of his presidency at Mar-a-Lago, 90 days at the New Jersey golf club, and just 20 days at Trump Tower.
