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Giuliani and Mike Lindell top guest list at Trump’s ‘pathetic’ NYE party as even his own children skip it

Trump’s eldest son and daughter skip Mar-a-Lago party

Alisha Rahaman Sarkar
Monday 02 January 2023 14:50 GMT
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Related: GOP representative says Donald Trump should be charged over Jan 6 riot

Donald Trump's New Year's Eve party at his Mar-a-Lago resort saw a mixed number of advisers and supporters, with Rudy Giuliani, pillow maker Mike Lindell and pollster Dick Morris topping the guest list.

Mr Trump's second-oldest son, Eric, and his wife, Lara, were among the hundreds of people in attendance at the event. However, two of the former president's children, who have been a prominent part of Mr Trump's political endeavours, appeared to have skipped the party.

The 45th president's eldest son Donald Trump Jr and daughter Ivanka Trump were not seen on Saturday night at the Florida resort, according to The Palm Beach Post.

Mr Trump Jr and his sister, who previously served her father as a White House adviser, had also skipped the former president's November announcement to run for the office in 2026. Ms Trump said she was absent for the campaign launch as she did not want to be "involved in politics".

“I love my father very much. This time around, I am choosing to prioritise my young children and the private life we are creating as a family," she told reporters.

Meanwhile, Mr Giuliani, the former New York City mayor turned Mr Trump's legal adviser, shared a video from the party where he can be seen having a good time. His caption read "Mar-a-Lago 2023 New Year headed right to 2024".

He offered an inside view of the black-tie party as a cover band playing “Footloose” overpowered his message.

Prior to entering the ballroom, Mr Trump said that he hoped the Russia-Ukraine war "will get straightened out very quickly". He added that his campaign going into 2023 will be bullish and the poll numbers looked "fantastic".

"We need a strong border and we need it now," he said, adding: "We also have to bring back the economy ... with inflation destroying our country."

Addressing the attendees, Mr Trump said: "We're watching a war waging, we're watching nuclear weapons talked about all the time, we're watching inflation going through the roof. All of these things that we're watching and so unnecessary, and so sad to see.

"Now we have airports where people can't fly," he added in a reference to the impact of winter storm Elliott that killed at least 40 people in Buffalo, New York.

The event drew mockery after it failed to attract much interest, including from more conservative outlets.

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