Literal storm clouds hung over Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday where PresidentDonald Trumpspent the weekend away from theongoing impeachment trialand the many Democratspreparing to challenge himin November.
At hisMar-a-Lago Club, however, the mood was conspicuously upbeat: a temporary break from historically serious allegations that he abused his office and betrayed the Constitution.
On Saturday night, for the third year in a row, the “Trumpettes” hosted their annual gala cheering on the president and his re-election campaign.
“The energy in that room was intense,” says Toni Holt Kramer, founder of the Trumpettes.
President Trump, First LadyMelania Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida’s first lady, Casey DeSantis, surprised the group with an appearance. There was cheering and actual cheerleaders, there was singing and music and there was “energy and love.”
There was almost certainly little talk about impeachment or Trump’s Ukraine scandal.
“Proud to Be an American” singer Lee Greenwood performed. Fox News hostSean Hannity, who taped a pre-Super Bowl interview with Trump, was also there among the 700 attendees, along with Trump’s sonDonald Trump Jr.and Kimberly Guilfoyle, Don Jr.’s girlfriend. (Not present?Ivanka Trump,Jared KushnerandEricand Lara Trump.)
From left: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump.Susan Walsh/AP/Shutterstock
At Saturday’s gala, Mrs. Trump, 49, told the crowd “she will definitely be on the campaign trail and is looking forward to it,” Kramer says. The president, she says, was “grinning from ear to ear.”
Trump, 73, had spent that day golfing — as he usually does while in Florida, despite criticizing his predecessorBarack Obamafor golfing while in office — and also took time for phone calls and “meetings with staff,” according to the White House.
From left: First Lady Melania Trump and President Donald Trump with their son, Barron, at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.Susan Walsh/AP/Shutterstock
Throughout the weekend, Trump was extremely active on Twitter: posting or retweeting dozens of messages.
He attacked his impeachment trial in the Senate after he was accused of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. He attacked his Democratic rivals. He posted about his Super Bowl ad on criminal justice reform (which drew backlash) and then wrote and deleted a tweetincorrectly sayingthe Kansas City Chiefs were based in Kansas, not Missouri.
He and the first lady and their teenage son,Barron, returned to Washington, D.C., late Sunday.
He is scheduled to give the State of the Union to Congress on Tuesday night and, on Wednesday, Republicans in the Senate are expected to acquit him after blocking an effort to call new witnesses at his impeachment trial.
source: people.com
