Donald Trump welcomed 2026 at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, auctioning a portrait of Jesus Christ painted live on stage for $2.75m and saying his new year's resolution was a wish for “peace on Earth”.
The painting was created by artist Vanessa Horabuena, whom Trump described as “one of the greatest artists anywhere in the world”. The auction opened at $100,000, with half the proceeds going to St Jude's children's hospital and half to the local sheriff's department.
The winning bid came from a woman in a top hat. Among the guests were Rudy Giuliani, Kristi Noem, Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, Hussain Sajwani, Brett Ratner, Tom Emmer and Jeanine Pirro.
Trump's “peace on Earth” comment came as reporters asked about a reported CIA-directed strike on a dock in Venezuela. The Mar-a-Lago New Year's Eve party, a tradition dating back at least two decades, has previously attracted guests including Martha Stewart, Serena Williams, Tiger Woods and Rod Stewart. Tickets cost $1,450.
Earlier in the day, Trump had posted on social media, calling Colorado's governor Jared Polis a “scumbag”, George Clooney “mediocre” and Democrats a “bunch of cheaters and thieves”. He also defended his tariff policies and claimed investigations into fraud in Minnesota and other states would uncover a “giant scam”.
