President-elect Donald Trump hosted his annual New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday — a party that in the past has included movie stars (Sylvester Stallone), sports stars (Serena Williams), TV celebrities (Martha Stewart) and music stars (Rod Stewart) and family.
It appears this year’s version, along with family, was more about his political inner circle.
According to media reports and photos posted on social media, those attending Wednesday were Trump’s close confidant Elon Musk, Vice President-elect JD Vance, Trump’s nominee for national security adviser U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, his nominee for education secretary Linda McMahon and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas.
Also seen, according to reports, was prominent GOP donor Miriam Adelson, Trump attorney Alina Habba, former boxing promoter Don King and longtime Trump adviser Roger Stone.
Family included Trump’s wife Melania, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, daughter-in-law Laura Trump and daughter Tiffany Trump, according to reports.
It’s unclear if Trump’s youngest son Barron, who is on break from New York University, attended or his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jarod Kushner, who live about an hour south in Miami.
Vance attended with his wife Usha and Musk brought his son, X, and mother Maye, according to media reports and photos posted on social media.
It’s unclear how many people attended, but Palm Beach Police Department spokesman Capt. William Rothrock told The Palm Beach Post on Monday that more than 300 guests could be attending. That would put it into one of the largest categories of events in the club’s traffic management plan with the town.
Guests were ferried to the club by bus from an off-site location.
Rothrock told The Post he was not aware of any fireworks displays planned.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, attends a New Year’s Eve event at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
Don Jr. attends with new girlfriend, Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson
According to the Daily Mail, Donald Trump Jr. attended the black-tie gala with new girlfriend Bettina Anderson of Palm Beach. Don Jr. was formerly engaged to Kimberly Guilfoyle, who Trump recently nominated as the U.S. ambassador to Greece.
It also was Don Jr.’s 47th birthday, and he was serenaded by the crowd with a version of the Happy Birthday song, with his father and Musk singing along, according to the Daily Mail.
U.S. Vice President-elect J.D. Vance and wife Usha Vance attend a New Year’s Eve event held by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
Laura Trump, the former RNC co-chair who recently said she was not interested in the soon-to-be-open U.S. Senate seat in Florida, got up on stage Wednesday and sang Tom Petty’s “I Won’t Back Down.”
You can’t see her singing here, but you can hear her.
Tiffany Trump shows a baby bump, reports say
Guests, as they’ve done in the past, walked into the party on a red carpet, some stopping to talk to those in the media who were invited. Trump walked the carpet with Melania, who wore a stylish, black dress. Musk carried his son X on his shoulders.
The Daily News reported that Tiffany, who is married to Michael Boulos, was starting to show a baby bump in her black dress. The couple announced her pregnancy last year.
Former U.S. first lady Melania Trump accompanies U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (not pictured) as they attend a New Year’s Eve event at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
Tiffany’s mother and Trump’s ex Marla Maples, also walked the red capret, the Daily Mail reported.
As guests walked the carpet, violinists played songs from different genres, including country music‘s “Jolene,” Journey’s anthem rock “Don’t Stop Believing” and hard rock band Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” the Daily Mail reported.
Did Trump’s social plea to Musk convince him to attend?
Elon Musk holds his son on his shoulders as he attends a New Year’s Eve event held by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
The fact that Musk attended was somewhat surprising. Even though the Space X and Tesla founder, and owner of X, formerly Twitter, has been reportedly around Mar-a-Lago almost constantly since the election, a social post by Trump last week suggested his attendance was iffy.
In the cryptic social media post on his Truth Social site, and aimed possibly at Musk, Trump said Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates asked to come to Mar-a-Lago, which Trump called the “Center of the Universe.”
“We miss you and x! New Year’s Eve is going to be AMAZING!!!”
It’s unclear whether Gates, who has owned property in Wellington, Florida, visited Trump last week or attended Wednesday’s party.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, attends a New Year’s Eve event at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
Trump says he’ll attend former president Jimmy Carter’s funeral
Trump told reporters he’ll be attending the funeral of former President Jimmy Carter, according to USA Today’s Zach Anderson.
Carter died Sunday at age 100. His funeral will be held Jan. 9 at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. Trump declined to say Tuesday whether he has spoken to Carter’s family members.
Trump also said he believes House Republicans will support Speaker Mike Johnson continuing in his job when votes are cast Friday and continued to express support for H-1B visas in remarks broadcast on C-SPAN.
Trump endorsed Johnson’s bid to remain speaker, but the House GOP leader has been criticized by some Republican colleagues and is facing a big test of whether he can rally enough lawmakers around him.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, accompanied by his wife Melania, attends a New Year’s Eve event at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
“He’s the one that can win right now, people like him,” Trump said of Johnson, adding he’ll lobby members on Johnson’s behalf “if necessary.”
A debate over the H-1B visa program erupted on social media last week involving Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who Trump appointed to lead his Department of Government Efficiency. Musk and Ramaswamy defended the use of H-1B visas, which were criticized by other prominent voices in Trump’s MAGA movement, including Trump’s former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.
Trump weighed in to support the visas and reiterated his position Tuesday.
Previous New Year’s Eve galas
In past years, ‘90s rapper Vanilla Ice has performed on New Year’s Eve at the so-called “Southern White House.” There was a rumor this year it would be The Beach Boys who would take the stage, but it turned out the iconic rock band performed Saturday night, according to a social media post that called the Dec. 28 party a “New year pre party” that included a brief video of Trump doing his signature dance move.
Last year, Melania Trump had to skip the New Year’s Eve gala because she was caring for her ill mother, who passed away in January 2024. Trump joked during the party that it had become so popular people were “scalping tickets outside.”
“Can you believe it? They’re getting $10,000 a ticket,” he said.
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) attends a New Year’s Eve event held by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., December 31, 2024. REUTERS/Marco Bello
What’s it like to be at a New Year’s Eve gala with Trump?
A Mar-a-Lago member who didn’t want to be identified but who has attended past New Year’s Eve parties there said they are “spectacular.”
“(Trump) comes around to every table and talks to us, and I think that says something about what kind of person he is,” the member said, noting that this year’s celebration is particularly special considering the eventful year Trump had. “It’s been the greatest comeback period in all of human history because it’s not just political, it’s reputational, it’s business, and he beat all odds.”
The member also said the clamor to be a member of the club jumped after the election with some people overbidding the estimated $1 million membership by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Trump’s New Year’s Eve party at Mar-a-Lago: Did Elon Musk show up?
