Trump's back home: His 11th visit to Palm Beach comes on heels of peace accord, tariffs

• President Trump is visiting Palm Beach County amid protests and calls for prosecutions of political critics.
• The visit follows a brokered ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war but also coincides with a partial government shutdown and new tariffs on China.
• Local demonstrations are planned, including "No Kings" rallies and gatherings honoring the late activist Charlie Kirk.

President Donald Trump arrived in his home county around 6:20 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 17 for a weekend visit scheduled to be marked by protests against his rule, including his fresh calls for more prosecutions of political critics and renewed pledge of further military-style law and order missions in U.S. cities.

Trump makes his 11th visit to Palm Beach County in his White House second term still triumphantly basking in a cease-fire he brokered to silence weapons in the Israel-Gaza war that raged for just over two years. But he is still dogged by the stalemate on Capitol Hill over ending the partial government shutdown and Wall Street uneasiness over a new round of tariffs on China.

And deepening domestic divisions over his crackdown on what he has called, but critics have refuted, lawlessness in American urban centers.

"We're going to have a surge of strong, good people, patriots. And they’re going to go in, they straighten it all out," the president stated on Oct. 15 during Oval Office remarks in which he again called on fellow Floridian Pam Bondi, the U.S. attorney general, and FBI director Kash Patel to prosecute former special counsel Jack Smith.

Trump meets with Ukrainian president, commutes George Santos' prison sentence

Earlier on Oct. 17, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. Zelenskyy was trying to convince Trump to arm Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles capable of striking targets deep inside Russian territory.

But as the two men met in the Cabinet Room, Trump said he believes there is "a chance to end the war quickly" without delivering Ukraine the long-range missiles to hit back against Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also expressed concerns about the United States reducing its own supply of the weapons.

"We need Tomahawks, and we need a lot of the other things that we've been sending over the last four years to Ukraine," Trump said. "One of the reasons we want to get this war over is exactly that ‒ it's not easy for us to give. You're talking about massive numbers of very powerful weapons."

Just before arriving in Palm Beach County, Trump also commuted U.S. Rep. George Santos’ seven-year prison sentence, releasing him from jail on Oct. 17.

Santos, a 37-year-old Republican from New York, reported to the Federal Correctional Institution Flatiron Satellite Camp in New Jersey on July 25 to begin a seven-year prison sentence for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. Santos pleaded guilty to the charges last year.

“George Santos was somewhat of a “rogue,” but there are many rogues throughout our Country that aren’t forced to serve seven years in prison,” wrote Trump in a Truth Social post. “At least Santos had the Courage, Conviction, and Intelligence to ALWAYS VOTE REPUBLICAN! George has been in solitary confinement for long stretches of time and, by all accounts, has been horribly mistreated. Therefore, I just signed a Commutation, releasing George Santos from prison, IMMEDIATELY. Good luck George, have a great life!”

No Kings, Charlie Kirk spark demonstrations in Trump's home county

On Saturday, Oct. 18, at least four "No Kings" protests — in Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Lake Worth Beach and Boca Raton — are again expected to draw thousands of demonstrators opposing Trump and his administration's policies. They are part of a nationwide series of rallies.

The "No Kings" demonstrations follow a week of civic activism in Palm Beach County. On Oct. 14, more than 100 people gathered in Jupiter, at the corner of Military Trail and Indiantown Road, to honor the slain influencer and activist Charlie Kirk.

They wove large flags with Kirk’s face printed on them, sold Kirk-themed shirts and hats and blared music from loudspeakers — mostly gospel, country and even a song about Kirk. People who drove by honked their horns in support and rolled down their windows to wave at the crowd.

Debbie and Daniel Gonzalez, self-proclaimed Trump supporters from Palm Beach Gardens, wore hats embroidered with Trump’s name to the rally. They said they attended the rally to honor Kirk’s life, partly because of the effect he had on their grandsons. Kirk sparked their interest in politics.

“It was fundamentally important for the previous election to get the younger people to go and vote,” said Daniel Gonzalez, 74. “Most of the time they said, ‘Young people don't vote.’ (Kirk) was able to push that vote. It was important for the country to realize that you have to pay attention to the young generations.”

Kirk supporters also demonstrated outside the School District of Palm Beach County in West Palm Beach on Oct. 15 in opposition to school board member Edwin Ferguson's sharp criticisms of the late conservative activist.

A Middle East peace accord, government shutdown, more China tariffs

Beyond the protests, the president's visit comes amid a partial government shutdown. On Oct. 11, people attending a farmer's market in West Palm Beach said they were anxious about the Capitol Hill stalemate.

Jessica Mosley of Westlake, a state employee, said the federal government closure had not affected her directly, but she added that multiple family members who rely on Social Security fear they will not be able to make ends meet if the stand-off drags on and affects services.

“They are very, very worried,” Mosley said.

The domestic policy divisions undermine a favorable national consensus on a Middle East peace plan that the president brokered, which included a cease-fire to end the more than 24 months of brutal, armed conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Trump reaped international acclaim for the deal, which his White House hailed as "masterful."

"President Donald J. Trump’s indomitable resolve and masterful diplomacy culminated yesterday with the release of all remaining hostages, an end to the conflict in Gaza, and a robust foundation for sustainable peace," an administration statement read. "Amid whirlwind visits to Israel and Egypt, President Trump celebrated this generational victory for peace and heralded a new era for a region long plagued by strife."

On the heels of his travels to Israel and Egypt for the pacts, the president imposed additional 100% tariffs on imports from China. The measure could prove costly to Florida, which imports about $12.8 billion worth of goods from the Asian giant prove costly to Floridians, according to an analysis by InvestorsObserver.

"The state’s consumer-driven economy relies on Chinese electronics, apparel, and household goods, so tariffs would likely raise prices for consumers and disrupt Florida’s large logistics sector," the report stated, noting the state receives 11% of its imports and 7% of its GDP from trade with China.

On Oct. 16, a business group reported that a slight drop in small business bullishness across the United States.

The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index declined 2.0 points in September to 98.8, the first decline in three months, while the Uncertainty Index rose 7 points from August to 100, the fourth-highest reading in over 51 years.

"Ongoing hiring challenges, rising inflationary pressures, and supply chain disruptions are leaving Florida's small business owners feeling less optimistic and more uncertain about the economy," said NFIB Florida Executive Director Bill Herrle. "Despite these obstacles, they remain dedicated to meeting their customers' needs."

Fundraising dinner, golf and ... Venezuela?

Trump's weekend in Palm Beach will begin with a reported $1 million a plate dinner at his Mar-a-Lago club and residence.

The White House had not commented on the president's schedule for the weekend, but in his previous 40-plus visits to the Winter White House in his first term in Washington and the first five months of this one, Trump regularly played golf at his club in unincorporated West Palm Beach.

The president, however, also does a fair amount of governance in his weekend sojourns. On Oct. 15, the president disclosed he had authorized CIA operations in Venezuela. The unusual statement — the covert operations agency's doings are generally kept secret — follows a series of military strikes on vessels off Venezuela's coast that the administration alleged were smuggling illegal narcotics.

The president has authorized military strikes during weekends at his Palm Beach estate. In March, he gave the green light for attacks on Houthi pirates in Yemen.

Security upgraded at Mar-a-Lago for Trump's Palm Beach visit on Oct. 17

Antonio Fins is a politics and business editor at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.