Turns out, Americans – including corporate America and municipalities, do not condone sedition and attempted coups. Most sophisticated Americans weren’t particularly impressed with Trump in the first place. But everything is different now and it’s no secret. Donald Trump’s “brand” is not only unwanted, but it’s also now downright dangerous, or at least harmful.

Moreover, people want punishment for what he’s done to the country.

Trump left New York because he had to. New York may be the capital of the world and a very big city, but it’s apparently not big enough to hide Trump. Florida, on the other hand, voted for Trump twice. It seemed like a safe harbor. But Florida is a complicated place. It’s got its very red areas, the panhandle, the Orlando area, and Cuban Miami. But there are also a lot of university towns, lots of “suburban” areas, and lots of well to do retirees, few of whom were ever fooled by Trump. Those are generalizations and quite obviously there are good people spread out everywhere.

Ironically, Trump made his home in one of the bluer areas, Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach County. The county has already taken aggressive action in holding Trump to his contract stating that he will not make Mar-a-Lago his residence. Now, though, they’re after Trump’s identity, they’re coming for his golf course.

Golf as a game is fun. Golf as a culture … well, it’s complicated. No game on earth is better suited for conspicuous consumption, only skiing comes close. Where one golfs, what one eats after golfing, the equipment one uses, and the partners in the foursome, all define one’s social class with definitive specificity. One cannot be a CEO of a Fortune 500 company without a decent golf game.

Thus, Trump came to identify himself with the game. For a guy his age and weight, he’s supposedly fairly good, especially when he keeps his own score. He loves golf, he loves owning the course, he loves the attention he gets when he shows up, he loves rubbing shoulders with the other types that play golf and it requires near no physical exertion when riding around in a cart.

So it’s meaningful – very meaningful – when Trump pays for his behavior by losing some “golf.” The PGA of America already took its biggest tournament, a major, the PGA Championship away from Trump’s beloved New Jersey club. And now this, from the Palm Beach Post:

A Palm Beach County official this week examined a contract with a Trump Organization affiliate to see if the county could end its lease with the president’s signature Trump International Golf Club in unincorporated West Palm Beach.

Howard Falcon, chief assistant county attorney, told The Palm Beach Post on Wednesday he was asked by an unnamed county commissioner about whether the lease with Trump International Golf Club could be canceled.

It probably cannot be done. Leases are specialized contracts involving the most serious asset in law, real property. Absent a serious breach, they’re tough to get around. Palm Beach County knows it:

Falcon said documents between Trump and Palm Beach County for the golf club on Summit Boulevard do not contain a provision called a “bad boy” clause. 

This clause can terminate a contract in the event of bad behavior that typically is spelled out. This could include bad acts, including but not limited to fraud or criminal matters, or even not filing paperwork in a timely manner. 

Even if it did have a “bad boy” clause (usually called a right to terminate), those are usually fairly specific and usually must involve some kind of behavior directly touching upon the property. Usually.

On the other hand, a contract is only as enforceable as the judge that looks it over. State judges stand for election (a policy we abhor because they shouldn’t be subject to political pressure) and some lesser judges consider the political impacts of their rulings. It shouldn’t work this way but it often does. So, depending upon the political winds in the county, and depending upon the judge getting the case, it’s possible.

Even the effort will serve a purpose. Golf as a game is fun, but when it becomes about status, it’s less a game and more a business. Trump hates looking like a loser in business. The intent to end the lease will make him look like a loser.

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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @JasonMiciak