While Iran vowed “devastating blows” after airstrikes reportedly killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, US President Donald Trump was working a different kind of room, greeting tuxedoed donors beneath the gilded ceilings of Mar-a-Lago.
A video posted on Instagram appeared to show Trump greeting wealthy visitors at his West Palm Beach club on the night that Tehran vowed to unleash “devastating blows” in retaliation for airstrikes which killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader.
Trump admitted in a 2 am Truth Social post in the early hours of Saturday morning that he expected US citizens to die in the war he just started, but that put no dent in the party schedule at Trump’s private beach resort.
Karoline Leavitt confirmed to White House reporters on Saturday afternoon that the President would take time out from launching wave after wave of missile strikes against Iran to mingle with millionaires at a Republican fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, The Daily Beast reported.
Florida vape magnate Shlomi Evgi posted photos on Instagram on Saturday night that showed him posing with Trump’s top diplomatic brains, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff. He also posted video footage of Trump in a gilded room, wearing a golden tie, shaking hands with high-rolling guests who paid top dollar to attend the fundraiser.
Evgi, who received a written warning about breaching US tobacco laws from the FDA in 2024, wrote, “Honoured to meet Marco Rubio.” The CEO of QR Joy, which manufactures vapes under the Fume brand, is a regular at Mar-a-Lago and met Trump on multiple occasions, according to a host of photos on his Instagram.
The White House did not respond to a request for confirmation that Trump was partying on Saturday night, but Leavitt was clear earlier in the day. “President Trump still intends to stop by the fundraiser being held at Mar-a-Lago this evening for the Republican Party, which is more important than ever,” she said.
In the hours before launching the war in the Middle East, Trump danced to “YMCA” and Lee Greenwood’s MAGA classic “God Bless the USA”, while a black-tie crowd interrupted the charity gala cocktails to chant “USA! USA!”
Little did the guests know that the US military was preparing joint strikes on Iran with Israel at that very moment. Trump soon disappeared behind a curtain into a temporary situation room to watch the attacks unfold.
Once the party guests went home, Trump posted a wild video on Truth Social announcing that war began.
In the 24 hours since, there were missile attacks on at least 10 countries: Iran, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Oman, and Qatar. The UK also said missiles heading for Cyprus, an island in Europe with a large British military base, were intercepted.
The New York Times reported late last year that Mar-a-Lago would host a fundraiser this weekend, which would cost $1 million per person to attend.
