President Trump called for “peace on Earth” as he prepared to ring in the new year with first lady Melania Trump at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., Wednesday.
In his remarks, Trump said the country was “doing really well”, pointing to what he described as unprecedented investment flowing into the United States. He said factories were being built “all over the country” and cited growth figures that he said had exceeded predictions.
“Peace on Earth,” Trump said in response to a question about his 2026 resolution, before heading in for the New Year’s Eve bash.
Trump also touted tariff revenue, saying the US had taken in “hundreds of millions of dollars”, and spoke about military funding, declaring the country was “back” and “strong”. He spoke about economic performance, investment, tariffs, and what he described as a rapid turnaround in national fortunes.
“I just want to tell you that the country is doing really well and doing really well,” Trump said, adding that the US had more investment “coming into our country than any country ever in the history of the world by a lot”.
He pointed to factories being built “all over the country” and said it was “really exciting to see”, expressing confidence about growth figures that he said had exceeded expectations. “You saw 4.3. They were predicting 1.9. 4.4,” Trump said, referring to the latest growth figures.
Trump also highlighted revenue from tariffs, saying the US had collected “hundreds of millions of dollars”, and mentioned funding for the military. “We gave the military the entire military $1,776. That’s not bad,” he said.
“We’re extremely happy that we’re doing great as a country. We’re back. We’re strong,” Trump said, adding, “I didn’t think it could happen this fast. It’s happening a lot faster than anybody would’ve thought possible.”
The President praised Congressman Tom Emmer, saying he had watched him speak on television about the Somalian population, and thanked leaders in attendance, urging continued efforts to “take back our country”. He also spoke about alleged financial misconduct, saying authorities were uncovering billions of dollars in losses and vowing to recover the money.
A centrepiece of the evening was a live art performance. Trump invited an artist, Vanessa Horabuena, to the stage, describing her as one of the world’s greatest artists. As a band played a Christian worship song, the artist painted a canvas while dancing. The final work was revealed to be a portrait of Jesus.
Trump then auctioned off the painting, saying the proceeds would benefit St. Jude’s and the sheriff’s department. He opened the bidding at $100,000 and later offered to sign the portrait to raise its value. The painting ultimately sold for $2.75 million.
Among those spotted by the pool inside the ballroom were Sergio Gor, the US ambassador to India, businessman Phil Ruffin, Donald Trump Jr., Rudy Giuliani, and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The president, wearing a tuxedo, briefly spoke to reporters outside the club’s ballroom, with Melania standing by his side in a stunning silver dress.
The president’s eldest sons, Donald Trump Jr., and Eric Trump, were also spotted, along with his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump.
Several Trump administration officials and allies were also in attendance, including Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.), former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Dan Scavino and Ambassador Sergio Gor.
Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani, who earlier this year pledged to invest $20 billion in US data centers, was also seen at the black-tie affair.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Trump days earlier to discuss the status of the cease-fire agreement in Gaza, was among the many distinguished guests at the event.
