Donald Trump welcomed 2026 with a glitzy bash at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, where he auctioned off a freshly painted portrait of Jesus Christ for $2.75m. The president said his new year's resolution was a wish for 'peace on Earth'.
The portrait was painted live on stage by artist Vanessa Horabuena, whom Trump described as 'one of the greatest artists anywhere in the world'. She tackled a large black canvas with a paintbrush while a band played a slow rendition of Hallelujah.
Trump opened the bidding at $100,000, telling the crowd they were 'loaded with cash'. Half of the proceeds will go to St Jude's children's hospital and half to the local sheriff's department. The winning bidder was a woman in a top hat.
Guests at the gala included former adviser Rudy Giuliani, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani, film director Brett Ratner, and Republican Representative Tom Emmer. The Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party is a tradition dating back at least two decades; tickets were $1,450.
Earlier in the day, Trump posted a series of social media messages criticising Colorado Governor Jared Polis as a 'scumbag', George Clooney as 'mediocre', and Democrats as a 'bunch of cheaters and thieves'. He also promoted his tariff policies and claimed a 'world record on investments'.
