December 31, 2019

PALM BEACH, Fla. — With the U.S. Embassy in Iraq under attack, President Donald Trump has thus far eschewed the typical laid-back New Year’s Eve optics.

He didn’t golf, instead holding a meeting about the Middle East at his own golf club rather than hitting the links. His Twitter feed has offered thoughts about the volatile situation throughout the day, sandwiched between the normal grumbling about Democrats. He spoke with the prime minister of Iraq about protecting the U.S. diplomats and other embassy staffers huddled in a safe room in Baghdad.

But if past New Year’s Eves at the president's Mar-a-Lago property are any guide, the president could make an appearance Tuesday night at the luxury resort’s annual black-tie New Year’s Eve gala, a $1,000-a-head event that starts with cocktails by the main pool before moving to a decadent dinner in the estate’s massive ballroom. In the past, the shindig has attracted celebrities like Sylvester Stallone, Woody Allen, Rod Stewart, Serena Williams, Martha Stewart and Robert Kraft.

Read more:

https://www.politico.com/news/2019/12/31/trump-does-new-years-eve-his-way-091753