Footage of Mar-a-Lago revelers dancing in Marie Antoinette-style costumes and dog masks has gone viral, and Adam Kinzinger reacted, stating on X, “furry convention at Mar-a-Lago wasn’t in my bingo card if I’m being honest.” Kinzinger isn’t the only Trump critic to weigh in. Gavin Newsom‘s press office also shared, “Why is Donald Trump hosting a FURRY PARTY???”
Furry refers to a subculture centered on an interest in anthropomorphic animals with human traits, such as talking, wearing clothes, or expressing human emotions. The footage does, indeed, look strange, but it wasn’t exactly a furry party. Instead, the gathering was the American Humane Society’s 15th Annual Hero Dog Awards Gala, a fundraiser and awards event dedicated to recognizing service, therapy, and working dogs, held at Mar-a-Lago on January 9, 2026. Trump attended and addressed the guests.
“IDK it tracks”
Furry convention at mar a lago wasn’t in my bingo card if I’m being honest https://t.co/rMoDsBbWzL
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini)(@AdamKinzinger) January 16, 2026
Still, response to Kinzinger said, “Idk it tracks, they really seem to like wearing masks nowadays,” referring to masked ICE officers on city streets. Another added, “Mar a Lago seems to have gone to the Dogs!” Newsom’s responses included, “Thought he was concerned that woke schools were teaching kids to dress like this,” referring to Trump and MAGA’s concern for alleged “furry indoctrination” in public schools.
Another echoed Kinzinger’s post, adding, “Who had this on their bingo card for 2026? And to think ‘the right’ spent years wailing about the ‘Dog mask general’ and ‘freaks.’ We haven’t forgotten,” referencing a long-running right-wing meme that used “dog mask general” and “freaks” as symbols of alleged moral decay among liberal elites, highlighting the irony that similar dog-mask imagery is now appearing at a Trump venue after years of conservative outrage over it.
Dictator cosplay “starting to make sense”
Why is Donald Trump hosting a FURRY PARTY??? https://t.co/c1Rnzi0dFh
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) January 15, 2026
The alleged furry party appeared again in Newsom’s press office feed in a post captioned, “So Squid Games is real?” Another post added, “The whole dictator cosplay thing is starting to make sense,” with an AI-generated image of Trump in a dog outfit. The White House has not responded to the dog-mask footage and subsequent viral controversy.
While critics framed the imagery as emblematic of cultural hypocrisy, supporters and organizers emphasized that the costumed performers were part of themed entertainment tied to the gala’s fundraising mission, not a political or subcultural statement. American Humane has hosted the Hero Dog Awards for years at various high-profile venues, often incorporating theatrical elements to draw attention and donations.
Even so, the contrast between the event’s visuals and years of conservative rhetoric warning about “degeneracy,” masks, and animal-themed subcultures helped fuel the backlash, turning a charity gala into a flashpoint for broader culture-war grievances rather than a debate over the event itself.
