U.S. embassies are promoting Mar-a-Lago online and people are pissed
Several embassies of the United States would like you to know about Mar-a-Lago. The one in the United Kingdom was promoting Trump's extravagant resort on its website earlier on Monday. The one in Albania is still promoting the place on its Facebook page. Have you heard of Mar-a-Lago? Perhaps you have.
Mar-a-Lago is the Florida estate purchased in 1985 by President Donald Trump and owned by The Trump Organization. He visits it often, and did so many times during the colder months of early 2017. He tried to make the phrase "winter White House" a thing.
Mar-a-Lago is not just a place for the president, though. It's also a place for anyone who can cough up $200,000 for the privilege of Mar-a-Lagoing alongside other rich folks who like warmth and suffocating amounts of humidity.
Some have said it's a bit odd for the U.S. government to promote a private resort whose owner (The Trump Organization, run by Trump's two oldest sons) makes juicy stacks of cash when people purchase a membership there.
Here are just a few observations following the news:
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The promotion was the same on both the U.K. embassy's website and the Albanian embassy's Facebook page, and appears to originate with Share America, a State Department "platform for sharing compelling stories and images that spark discussion and debate on important topics like democracy, freedom of expression, innovation, entrepreneurship, education, and the role of civil society."
The State Department removed the post from Share America and the website of the U.K. embassy late on Monday, but it's still on the Albanian embassy's Facebook page as of this updated writing.
“The intention of the article was to inform the public about where the president has been hosting world leaders," a state department official wrote in an email. "We regret any misperception and have removed the post.”
Merriam-Webster defines kleptocracy as "government by those who seek chiefly status and personal gain at the expense of the governed."
Have a nice week, everyone.
Updated: 10:30 p.m. ET to reflect the State Department's removal of the Mar-a-Lago article and to include the department's statement.
Updated: 6:22 p.m. ET: The Facebook page of the U.S. embassy in Albania has now removed the Mar-a-Lago article.
Topics Facebook Social Media Donald Trump
Colin is Mashable's US & World Reporter. He previously interned at Foreign Policy magazine and The American Prospect. Colin is a graduate from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. When he's not at Mashable, you can most likely find him eating or playing some kind of sport.
