"Has Putin Joined Yet?": Internet Reacts to Mar-a-Lago Membership Cost Hike

Midterm election event at Mar-a-Lago on November 08, 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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New Times readers had many thoughts regarding the hefty initiation fee to join former president Donald Trump's exclusive Mar-a-Lago Club on Palm Beach's "Billionaires' Row."

In a recent interview with Bloomberg, longtime club manager Bernd Lembcke joined the president to reveal that the club membership fee will increase from $700,000 to $1 million in October ahead of the 2024 general election.

"In October we are going up to $1 million [per membership] because we have four memberships to sell," Lembcke said. "We are not desperate."

Aside from operating as a resort with hotel-style amenities, Mara-a-Lago has transformed into MAGA headquarters, Trump's fundraising center, and a meeting place for supporters aiming to get Trump back in the White House.

Here is just a small sampling of comments from readers on Reddit, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), and comedy website Fark about the $1 million price tag to access MAGA wonderland.

Spoiler alert: many people were dying to know if the membership comes with access to the hordes of classified documents Trump once kept in a club bathroom and his bedroom.

Nicole thought the club manager doth protest too much:

"You might be desperate if you start off a statement, 'We're not desperate' lol."

Edison wanted to make sure he had access to an important perk:

"Does the membership come with stolen classified documents? Asking for a friend."

Fark user @iheartscotch's observation:

"It sounds like everything is going VERY well at the demented goldfish castle....."

click to enlarge

Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in September 2022 in Palm Beach, Florida

Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Frank provided his two cents:

"Someone is shook that Kamala raised $50M overnight."

Eunice posed a very important question:

"What level clearance do I need to wipe in the document room?"

Reddit's @harryregician wanted to know if one prospective Trump ally is an esteemed member:

"Has Putin joined yet?"

Finsley also chimed in:

"Grifters gonna grift."

And Estefanni: 

"Shoes and bibles ain't selling huh?"