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- President Donald Trump is heading to Camp David this weekend while Washington, DC cleans up after the US Capitol riots.
- A White House official confirmed the weekend getaway to Insider on Thursday.
- The Federal Aviation Administration implemented temporary flight restrictions over the Maryland retreat as a standard safety precaution.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
President Donald Trump is making the last weekend getaway of his presidency with a trip to Camp David tomorrow, a White House official confirmed to Insider.
The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday implemented temporary flight restrictions over the Maryland presidential retreat, with the order indicating: “Temporary flight restrictions for VIP Movement.” Similar flight restrictions are implemented when the president leaves Washington, DC as a security measure against a potential aerial attack.
Flight restrictions are scheduled to take effect on Friday at 3:30 p.m., hinting that the president may depart the White House in the late afternoon. The restrictions are scheduled to end at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday.
Aircraft cannot fly under 18,000 feet while within a 10-nautical mile radius of Camp David as doing so would initiate a military response. Pilots violating a temporary flight restriction could be fined and/or lose their pilot licenses.
Flight restrictions have also been placed on the airspace surrounding President-elect Joe Biden’s home in Delaware in the wake of the 2020 US presidential election. But the restrictions are less stringent as aircraft are only forbidden to fly under 3,000 feet AGL when within a three-nautical mile radius of the Wilmington home.
The trip comes after the US Capitol was invaded and vandalized by pro-Trump rioters seeking to disrupt and overturn the results of the election and prevent a Biden presidency. Both chambers of Congress were breached as US Capitol Police failed to hold back the interlopers.
Camp David, officially a US Navy installation known as Naval Support Facility Thurmont, has been largely shunned by Trump during his presidency in favor of Mar-a-Lago, his private club in Palm Beach, Florida. Trump's most recent visit was this past Thanksgiving where he was accompanied by staff and family following the election. He previously called the site "rustic."
The compound has been used in the past for summits with world leaders, including the Camp David Accords between Egypt and Israel in 1978. But the president came under fire after suggesting that he would host the Taliban at the retreat for peace talks relating to the War in Afghanistan.
Marine One is frequently used to make the 70-mile journey to Camp David, a tradition dating back to 1957. President Dwight Eisenhower made the first helicopter journey from the White House to Camp David, according to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, marking the first time a sitting president flew in a helicopter.