Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago was jam-packed with high-drag at his jungle-themed Halloween party on Saturday night.
Pictures and social media posts show the party, held just three days before midterm elections where voters say affordability is a key issue, was a camp, spandex-and-glitter-filled affair far removed from the price of gas.
There was also a king crab and caviar bar, with Golden Goat Caviar tagging Mar-a-Lago in a story showing a selection of their products and a “trick or treat” graphic.
Trump arrived at the party at around 8 p.m., bringing the White House press pool with him.
The pool report, by Katherine Doyle of The Washington Post, briefly described the scene.
“The ballroom room is decorated in a jungle theme, with guests circulating in costume and dining at tables with large green centerpieces. Pool spotted Lady Victoria Hervey dressed as a cheetah, and a number of guests in cheetah, leopard and tiger print dinner jackets,” she observed.
Trump told reporters he had only had about 10 minutes to get ready for the party, and was dressed as himself.
Other guests leaned into the theme which saw the room washed in deep green lights and filled with performers and guests in elaborate or barely-there costumes.
Guests appeared to be a mix of Florida residents and visitors with Instagram biographies that described themselves variously as professional singers, real estate agents, investors, models, and self-styled moguls.
Partygoers posted videos and pictures from inside the gaudy get-together on their Instagram accounts.
Footage from one partygoer, identified as Pochi Feuillet on Instagram, showed performers dressed in full body leotards depicting various animals, from leopards and tigers to zebras and snakes, surrounding a drumming man with a headdress onstage.
Another Instagram Story shows the performers close up.
An Instagram Story and post by “luxury expert” Nicole “Coco” Cha, shows some attendees’ barely-there outfits.
MAGA influencer Bo Loudon also showed the scene, which included a zebra in a corner behind a cage.
Singer and South Florida realtor, Hadas Levy, was another poster in leopard print.
One ballerina, Kianna Sierra-Salcedo, showed off her detailed leopard costume.
Last year Trump threw a Great Gatsby themed party amidst a government shutdown that stretched on for weeks. The lavish party attracted criticism for its display of ostentatious wealth at a time of serious national financial stress.
This year’s party comes as America prepares to vote in the mid terms, as Trump’s popularity with the electorate has plummeted.
Part of that drop is widely attributed to the president seeming dismissive of the impact of tariffs, the rising cost of gas and diesel, and ongoing cost of living increases that have left Americans feeling increasingly financially stretched.
But the president did not seem concerned that the party could be seen as in bad taste, inviting the White House press into the ballroom and boasting to them about hosting “rich members” of his private club—where membership is thought to cost at least $200,000 a year.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
