State Department deletes blog post critics said promoted Trump's Mar-a-Lago

— -- The State Department is facing criticism for a blog post that details the history of Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump's Florida estate.

The post titled "Mar-a-Lago: The Winter White House" was originally published on April 4 by ShareAmerica, a blog run by the State Department's Bureau of International Information Programs, which works to create content that promotes America with embassies and consulates around the world.

The State Department denied that it was promoting Trump's private club, saying in a statement, "The intention of the article was to inform the public about where the president has been hosting world leaders. We regret any misperception and have removed the post."

The post, which was also featured on the website for U.S. Embassy in the U.K., portrays Mar-a-Lago as a "dreams-come-true" story for the property's original builder, socialite and heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.

Post, who willed the estate to the U.S. government upon her death in 1973, wanted her property to one day be used "as a winter White House for the U.S. president to entertain visiting foreign dignitaries," according to the blog post.

However, the blog post outlines that her plan didn't work as Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter never used the property, and it was eventually sold back to the Post Foundation in 1981 due to its expensive maintenance cost.

In 1985, Trump purchased the property and 10 years later introduced it to the public as the Mar-a-Lago Club.

Since Trump became commander-in-chief, the blog post says, Post's presidential dreams have come true with Trump regularly working out of the house and using the club in February to host Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie.

When news of the blog post made its way to Twitter Monday, several politicians took to social media to express their concerns over the use of taxpayer dollars and the promotion of Trump's personal property.

A few minutes later, Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, posted a link to the post saying, "Here is the full post in its kleptocratic glory."

Richard Painter, who was the chief White House ethics lawyer for former President George W. Bush from 2005 to 2007, tweeted a link to the post with the caption, "Use of public office for private gain pure and simple."

Former President Barack Obama's chief ethics attorney, Norm Eisen, also commented on the issue when asked about what could be done.

A White House official said the White House was not aware of the Mar-a-Lago post and found out about its existence through the media.

The post remains on the website for the U.S. Embassy in the U.K., but has been deleted from ShareAmerica's website and replaced with the State Department's statement.