President Donald Trump left Washington, D.C., along with his Cabinet on Friday for a meeting at Camp David, the secluded presidential retreat nestled in the wooded mountains of central Maryland.
Friday’s Cabinet meeting marks the first at Camp David during his second term.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters at a briefing last week that the meeting would be “a lot of fun and something different for the cabinet to experience together.”
The high-stakes November midterm elections will loom over the meeting as Republicans confront mounting political headwinds, including elevated gas prices, the lingering war with Iran, and Trump’s sagging approval ratings. The latest RealClearPolitics polling average shows Democrats holding roughly a five-point lead on the generic congressional ballot.
Trump’s Cabinet meetings have lasted as long as three hours, with each official briefing the president on their department. Breaking with tradition, Trump allows reporters to remain for the entire meeting and often takes a barrage of questions that frequently generate headlines.
For decades, Camp David has been the president’s refuge from Washington — and one of the country’s most secure meeting places. Presidents have used the retreat for quiet getaways, national security deliberations, and sensitive diplomatic talks. Its most famous moment came in 1978, when the Camp David Accords paved the way for peace between Israel and Egypt, according to the U.S. State Department.
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