President Trump will pay for the visit of Japan’s prime minister to the president’s south Florida retreat this weekend as a “personal gift,” the White House said Thursday.

A senior administration official said Mr. Trump will pay personally for the stay of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, where memberships can cost up to $200,000.

The official described the financial arrangement as “something the president is doing for the prime minister.”

It will be the first time that Mr. Trump hosts a foreign leader at his resort while in office. They plan to play golf while discussing a broad range of issues, including trade and defense.

The prime minister’s staff is not expected to stay at Mar-a-Lago.

Mr. Abe will hold meetings with Mr. Trump at the White House Friday, including a press conference, before they fly to Florida for the weekend.

Sign up for Daily Newsletters Manage Newsletters

Copyright © 2020 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission.