Trump's New Year Resolution: "Peace on Earth" Amid Festive Mar-a-Lago Gala

When asked about his New Year's resolution at the New Year's Eve gathering on Wednesday, the President replied: "Peace. Peace on earth. Peace on earth." He did not respond to questions about the CIA's role in an attack on Venezuela or whether he would put boots on the ground in Ukraine.

A large number of eminent people were invited by Trump and the First Lady for the New Year's Eve celebrations. The scene was festive and theatrical, according to a White House pool report.

At the entrance to the party, a black carpet reading "Happy New Year Mar A Lago" in gold letters greeted guests. Musicians stood on pedestals surrounded by tall white candles, playing "God Bless America" and the "Star Spangled Banner".

Inside the ballroom, a massive white floral arrangement marked the entrance, while a band played "I've Had the Time of My Life".

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.

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.

Other attendees included Eric and Lara Trump, Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani, and White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was reportedly among the attendees, according to an Instagram post.

Trump also spoke about what he characterised as large-scale financial misconduct, saying authorities were uncovering billions of dollars in losses. "Can you imagine they stole $18 billion. That's just what we're learning about," he said, adding that investigations would continue.

"It was a giant scam," Trump said, vowing that the money would be recovered. "It's all coming back," he said, framing the effort as part of what he called a "green New Year".

- IANS