Former President Donald Trump welcomed the New Year with a lavish event at his Florida estate, where a portrait of Jesus Christ painted live on stage sold for a staggering $2.75 million.
A Star-Studded New Year's Gala
The Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach was the setting for Trump's 2026 New Year's Eve celebration, a tradition spanning over two decades where tickets cost $1,450 per person. The highlight of the evening was an auction led by Trump himself, featuring a work created in real-time by artist Vanessa Horabuena.
Trump lavished praise on Horabuena, calling her "one of the greatest artists anywhere in the world" in footage broadcast on Newsmax. He marvelled at her ability to create a detailed portrait in mere minutes, as a band played a slow version of 'Hallelujah'.
The $2.75 Million Masterpiece
With the artist working on a large black canvas, Trump opened the bidding at $100,000, urging her to "draw something really special." He announced that half the proceeds would benefit St Jude's Children's Hospital, with the other half going to a local sheriff's department, quipping that the attendees were "loaded with cash."
The winning bid of $2.75 million was placed by an unidentified woman wearing a top hat. The exclusive guest list featured a mix of political, business, and media figures, including:
- Former adviser Rudy Giuliani
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara
- Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani
- Film director Brett Ratner
- House Republican Tom Emmer
When asked by reporters for his New Year's resolution, Trump expressed a wish for "peace on Earth," a comment made alongside questions about a reported CIA strike in Venezuela.
Social Media Fury Precedes Festivities
The gala followed a day of vigorous activity on Trump's social media platform, where he launched attacks on several high-profile figures and states. He labelled Colorado's Democrat Governor Jared Polis a "scumbag," called actor George Clooney "mediocre," and broadly accused Democrats of being "a bunch of cheaters and thieves."
He also promoted his administration's past tariff policies and focused on an alleged social services fraud investigation, claiming $18 billion had been stolen in Minnesota alone, and suggesting California, Illinois, and New York were "worse." Trump vowed to "get to the bottom of all of it," calling it a "giant scam" before concluding, "Other than that, we're going to have a great New Year."
