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Public outrage erupted over Trump's over-the-top ‘Great Gatsby' Halloween party for himself and his elite friends at Mar-a-Lago, held as he moves to cut millions of Americans off from vital food support programs.
The president's already under fire for what critics describe as a bitterly ironic choice of party theme on the eve of 42 million Americans losing access to food support programs.
— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) 2025-11-01T21:11:37.507412Z
On Friday, Oct. 31, Trump hosted a Halloween party at his Palm Beach estate inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 classic The Great Gatsby.
Videos of dancers and a martini-glass act go viral amid public outrage
Numerous photos show him seated alongside Secretary of State Marco Rubio, while several videos circulating online capture women in feathered costumes and flapper dresses dancing for his guests — and yet another video shows a woman performing inside a giant martini glass.
Many viewed the scenes circulating on social media as a stark symbol of the widening divide between the political elite and ordinary Americans, as federal workers went unpaid during the Trump administration's shutdown and food insecurity continued to rise across the nation.
Trump's Gatsby-like party unfolds as the government is still shutdown
The party came as the government shutdown entered its 31st day, and the videos quickly went viral on social media as criticism mounted against the president and his administration for cutting millions of Americans off from food-support programs.
Trump's administration has been pushing to scale back the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), a move that could strip access to vital food support from millions of low-income families.
On the same day as Trump's lavish Mar-a-Lago party, October 31, a federal judge from the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia temporarily blocked the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit cuts and ordered the Department of Agriculture to use contingency funds to ensure continued payments for roughly 42 million Americans.
The timing of the extravagant Halloween party fueled public anger, with critics accusing the president of flaunting wealth and privilege while ordinary citizens struggle to afford basic necessities.
According to People, members of the press were initially allowed inside the event but were later asked to leave the premises, restricting media access to the rest of the evening's festivities.
Sam Stein, managing editor of “The Bulwark,” bashed President Donald Trump's Gatsby-themed Halloween party, saying it was an example of the “incredible and sad dichotomy” of the impact of the Trump administration.
