President Donald Trump is facing backlash after hosting a lavish Great Gatsby-themed Halloween party just hours before SNAP benefits expired for over 40 million Americans.
The Republican leader threw the extravagant event at his Mar-A-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, drawing inspiration from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. The evening’s official theme, “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody,” borrowed its title from the 2013 film’s soundtrack hit by Fergie, Q-Tip, and GoonRock.
Reflecting the novel’s 1920s decadence and moral excess, the celebration was filled with glittering decor and guests dressed in glamorous, era-inspired costumes — a scene straight out of the Jazz Age.
President Trump was photographed enjoying his Gatsby-inspired Halloween bash, seated beside Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The timing of the extravagant celebration — themed around wealth and indulgence — drew heavy criticism, as it took place just hours before millions of Americans lost access to food assistance.
Congress had failed to reach an agreement to reopen the government before funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) expired on November 1. Although a federal judge directed the Trump administration to use emergency funds to sustain the program through November, the order came too late to prevent an immediate lapse in benefits.
During the party, Trump took to social media to address the issue, writing, “I have instructed our lawyers to ask the Court to clarify how we can legally fund SNAP as soon as possible … even if we get immediate guidance, it will unfortunately be delayed while States get the money out. If we are given the appropriate legal direction by the Court, it will BE MY HONOR to provide the funding.”
The following day, the judge who issued the order publicly thanked Trump for his “quick and definitive response.”
