A new ProPublica report argues that President Donald Trump once signed mortgage paperwork similar to the “dual primary residence” claims his administration has highlighted in a legal fight against New York Attorney General Letitia James—an accusation Democrats say is being used as political warfare, and Republicans say is a long-overdue crackdown on fraud and special treatment.
According to ProPublica’s review of mortgage records, Trump obtained two mortgages in Palm Beach, Florida, weeks apart in the early 1990s, with each loan document stating the property would be his principal residence. ProPublica reports the two homes sat next to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and were later marketed as rentals—raising questions, at least in ProPublica’s telling, about whether the “principal residence” language reflected his intent at the time.
A White House spokesperson disputed the insinuation of wrongdoing, telling ProPublica that the mortgages were from the same lender and that there was “no defraudation.”
What ProPublica Says the Records Show
ProPublica’s account centers on two adjacent properties on Woodbridge Road near Mar-a-Lago. The outlet reports that Trump signed one mortgage describing a “Bermuda style” house as his principal residence, then obtained a second mortgage for a neighboring property roughly seven weeks later, also attesting it would be his principal residence.
ProPublica further claims that Trump “does not appear to have ever lived” in either home and that the properties were treated as investment rentals, citing contemporaneous reporting and an interview with a longtime real estate agent connected to the listings.
Mortgage-law experts quoted by ProPublica reportedly described “dual primary” claims as often legal and rarely prosecuted, but noted that the controversy is sharpened by the administration’s own rhetoric and referrals around similar allegations against Trump critics.
The Bigger Political Fight: How “Mortgage Fraud” Became a Weaponized Buzzword
The reason this story has legs isn’t a 1990s paperwork dispute. It’s that “dual primary residence” has become a political cudgel—one the Trump administration’s allies say is about restoring integrity, and one opponents say is about punishing enemies.
In 2025, Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Bill Pulte has been one of the most visible voices pushing referrals when public figures appear to claim more than one primary residence on mortgage documents. In ProPublica’s earlier reporting on the broader “dual primary” push, the outlet described a pattern of public accusations and referrals aimed at prominent Trump antagonists, including Sen. Adam Schiff, New York Attorney General Letitia James, and Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook.
Pulte has argued that claiming two primary residences is “not appropriate” and should be referred for criminal investigation—language that has helped set the tone for the administration’s broader posture.
What the James case was about
James was charged federally in connection with a 2020 home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia. Prosecutors alleged she secured favorable loan terms by signing a “second home rider” and then renting the home out—conduct they argued was inconsistent with the loan terms. James denied wrongdoing and characterized the case as political retaliation.
FactCheck.org, reviewing the indictment and public reporting at the time, noted that legal experts questioned why federal prosecutors would pursue a case they viewed as relatively minor compared with typical federal priorities—fueling claims that politics was driving the prosecution.
Why the charges were dismissed
In a major setback for prosecutors, a federal judge dismissed the earlier case on procedural grounds tied to the appointment of the U.S. attorney who presented the case. Prosecutors then returned to a grand jury seeking a new indictment—but the grand jury declined to indict, another rare and significant obstacle.
The controversy included scrutiny of Lindsey Halligan—described as a Trump ally and former White House aide—who presented the case after being installed in the role amid political pressure, with the judge ruling the appointment mechanism improper.
Supporters of the administration argue the broader point remains: elected officials should not receive favorable terms by misrepresenting occupancy intentions. Critics counter that the pattern of targets, the public pressure campaign, and the procedural problems reinforce fears of selective enforcement.
Even ProPublica’s critics concede a practical reality: mortgages from the mid-1990s are unlikely to be actionable today. The political impact, however, is immediate: if the administration is setting a low bar for referrals based on paperwork language, the same standard—fairly or not—can be turned back on the president.
