A video of half-naked dancers performing inside a giant martini glass at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Halloween party stirred a row online, with netziens accusing the US president of being “tone deaf” as millions of Americans lost food aid during the ongoing government shutdown.Internet compared the scene to “Epstein Island,” as, just like the late paedophile, the party also seemed to have similar vibes of wealth, secrecy, and moral decay. Social media compared the extravagant Mar-a-Lago bash to the kind of elite gatherings once linked to Jeffrey Epstein — lavish on the surface but unsettling in tone.One viral video showed a woman in a white bikini swirling inside a massive champagne glass, draped in a feather boa as guests cheered. Another showed a performer surrounded by glittering decorations and a massive ice sculpture chilling alcohol.
Democrats slam the lavish party
California governor Gavin Newsom blasted the event, writing, “Donald Trump hosted a Great Gatsby party while Snap benefits were about to disappear for 42 million Americans. He does not give a damn about you.” Senator Chris Murphy also weighed in, saying, “The way he rubs his inhumanity in Americans’ face never ceases to stun me. He’s illegally refusing to pay food stamp benefits while he throws a ridiculously over-the-top Gatsby party for his Right-wing millionaire and corporate friends.”
End of SNAP benefits
The party came just hours after federal funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) officially ended, affecting millions of families who depend on food benefits. Two federal judges later ordered the Trump administration to use emergency funds to pay for the programme.The government shutdown has left around 1.4 million federal employees without pay.
Who was invited to the party?
Among the party guests were Ivanka and Tiffany Trump, Jared Kushner, Michael Boulos, and secretary of state Marco Rubio. The party was held at Trump’s Palm Beach resort in Florida and was themed “A little party never killed nobody,” a nod to the 2013 film The Great Gatsby, based on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel about greed and excess.Guests were dressed in flashy 1920s outfits as champagne flowed and flapper dancers performed for the crowd.Trump brushed off backlash during a media interaction before the party, saying the situation was “so easily solved” and blaming Democrats for the shutdown. “We have tremendous support, but it’s not even support, it’s common sense. Open up the country,” he said.The backlash comes just days after Trump unveiled renovations at the White House, including turning part of the East Wing into a ballroom and replacing the Lincoln Bathroom’s historic tiles with white marble.Polls show that most Americans blame the Trump administration for the shutdown, reports the Telegraph. His approval rating has dropped to -18 per cent in the latest Economist average, lower than Joe Biden’s at the same stage of his presidency.
