President Donald Trump has attended his second extravagant party at Mar-a-Lago in a week as tens of thousands of federal employees go without pay, leaving some of them, and many more Americans, to turn to food banks amid the longest government shutdown in history.
Images of the president were shared by guests on social media Friday at the lavish event which featured a three-course menu of beef filet, truffle dauphinoise, pan-seared scallops and a trio of desserts including “Trump chocolate cake.”
Trump was seen dining at a table surrounded by MAGA supporters, and posing with his thumbs up next to women in ballgowns. The event also featured ice sculptures and an opera performance.
Around the same time Friday, the Trump administration was allowed to continue only partially funding the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program after an order from the Supreme Court blocked the decision of a lower court which had required the government to fully fund SNAP, otherwise known as food stamps.
SNAP funds, which are distributed by the federal government to states each month, support the nation’s largest anti-hunger program. The funding freeze has left some 42 million Americans who rely on the program facing delays to critical payments.
Food pantries across the country are warning that they are not prepared to support the millions of families that rely on government assistance.
Tens of thousands of federal workers have been furloughed or are being forced to work without pay, with many long-serving civil servants turning to food banks, according to reports.
“I used to be a grants administrator, administrator of grants across the federal government, giving assistance, and now I’m in line requesting assistance,” federal worker, Anthony Speight, told NBC News as he attended a food bank in Washington D.C., adding that he “never thought” he would be put in this position.
The Mar-a-Lago bash was the second Friday in a row that the president has spent celebrating at his private Palm Beach club surrounded by MAGA supporters.
The Independent has contacted The White House for comment.
Trump also threw a lavish Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party last weekend, hours before the SNAP program initially lost its funding.
At that event, the president was photographed surrounded by guests in Roaring 20s-style getup.
“Donald Trump hosted a Great Gatsby party while SNAP benefits were about to disappear for 42 million Americans,” said California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in a post on X. “He does not give a damn about you.”
On Saturday, Newsom again shared an AI-generated image portraying Trump as France’s Marie Antoinette - symbolizing selfish luxury while people go hungry. His press office captioned the post: “GOOD NIGHT, PEASANTS!”
Video of the event on November 7, obtained by The Daily Beast, showed the president sitting with Fox News’ anchor Bret Baier. Earlier this week, Baier interviewed the president and confronted him with concerns from a voter, who begged him to “please do something” about rising food costs.
Other high-profile guests reportedly included the actor Kevin Sorbo, country music singer Jason Aldean and his wife, Brittany, and British politician Nigel Farage, who is known for his aggressive anti-immigration stance.
Trump’s trip to Palm Beach comes after he demanded that senators stay in Washington D.C. over the weekend to hash out a deal to end the government shutdown, which is in its 39th day and the longest in history.
“The United States Senate should not leave town until they have a Deal to end the Democrat Shutdown,” he wrote on Truth Social Friday. “If they can’t reach a Deal, the Republicans should terminate the Filibuster, IMMEDIATELY, and take care of our Great American Workers!”
As the president took off for Florida on Air Force One Friday evening, travel chaos was ramping up for millions of Americans.
More than 1,500 flights were canceled Saturday, and thousands more were delayed, as the Federal Aviation Administration reduced air traffic at terminals across the country due to the government shutdown.
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