Former US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump were ridiculed for making grand entrances to events held at their home.
The former First Lady hosted the Easter gathering at the sprawling Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and videos of her arrival with 18-year-old son Barron Trump and her father, Viktor Knavs, show them surrounded by supporters as they smile and wave at people.
Various videos went viral on social media, causing Melania’s name to trend on X, formerly Twitter.
One tweet mocked their entrance, calling it a “super cringe” to enter the event in such a lavish way. “I’m about to start lining up my friends in the living room to clap for me on my way to the fridge 🥴” – @kellda he wrote on X
Why do Donnie and Melania show up each time they go to dinner at their very own house? This is super annoying. I’ll start lining up my friends in the front room to clap for me on my option to the fridge 🥴
— Kelly D 🟦🟧 (@KellDA) April 1, 2024
Others also criticized Trump for the fanfare he received only for going out to dinner.
“Trump comes to Easter dinner at Mar a Lago for cheers and adoration, which is his safe zone.” commented @manpower1955.
“I read that when Trump goes to dinner at Mar-a-Lago, the guests who are there give him a standing ovation. This is his empty future. Basking in the applause of people eating dinner. A well-deserved fall *he no, it doesn’t matter anymore*” he wrote @tom_lowell_born.
Mar-a-Lago was originally a “home away from home” for the Trumps, but they made it everlasting in 2021, after Trump left the White House, in line with its website. There can also be a personal members’ club in the estate, which the former president founded in 1995.
Members of the exclusive club can book meals there, including parties attended and organized by the Trump family, even on major holidays. Great entrances with friends cheering them on appear to be a part of the experience.
However, lavish entrances reportedly continued after Trump lost the presidency because he apparently missed the attention he received as commander in chief, in addition to the etiquette of standing up when entering a room, in line with a report in Washington Post.
“We had to explain to him that there was no longer a group waiting for him,” an anonymous former adviser told the publication in 2022.
Another anonymous source in the article added the requirement to applaud the Trumps at Mar-a-Lago: “The appetite for attention hasn’t waned, but now it’s getting there.”
This opinion was shared by PR expert Mark Goldman, managing partner at public relations firm Goldman McCormick in New York.
“Trump probably enjoyed this experience during his tenure in the White House and wanted it to continue,” he said Newsweek and added that “from a PR point of view, it’s a great visual effect and all presidential candidates should do it.”
“When people watch someone receive continuous applause, it shows that they command the respect of those who are present. “I think regardless of political affiliation, many would agree that Trump is very good at branding himself,” Goldman added.
Marco Greenberg, senior partner at PR firm Thunder11, explained that demanding a standing ovation from Trump when he enters a room is “not rocket science.”
“Trump feels a pressing need to demonstrate clear and complete control. “He is reinforcing the hierarchy by claiming that he is the highest alpha male in the room and he wants very much to regain the most powerful job in the world,” he said. Newsweek.
“Whether it’s to satisfy his inflated ego, compensate for his insecurities, or show off his wealth to his MAGA followers, these antics only make his many opponents even more suspicious of his dictatorial tendencies.”
In recent years, Melania has added her own personal touch to Mar-a-Lago, despite redevelopment restrictions resulting from a historic easement signed by Trump in 1985 when he purchased the property.
“When you really study what she did there, you get the impression that she’s a little bit like each of her predecessors.” – Mary Shanklin, author of the book American Castle: One Hundred Years of Mar-a-Lago he said Newsweek in November.
Shanklin explained that Melania styled Mar-a-Lago with “a bit of pop with the flowers, colors and lighting, which is understandable given her experience as a model.” Part of her style is undoubtedly the ability to make a grand entrance.
Newsweek reached out to Trump’s representatives via email for comment.
Reaction to the post regarding Trump’s choice to attend the event at Mar-a-Lago was mixed.
“They’re dressing up for dinner. I admit I like it. But all this with photographers and fenced off areas seems like something out of a TV show. The cost of the staff alone to deal with all this mess must be staggering.” he replied @debidiamonds.
Another person, @RedWeatherTiger added: “Why can’t a billionaire afford to live alone in a place like Maralago without paying the guys there to help him pay all the bills? Isn’t this the weirdest thing a billionaire has to do? Does Bill Gates have people to rent rooms in his house?”
And @PGard0191 wrote: “Wow, they really get in your nerves. That’s cute!”
Update 02/04/24 10:33 ET: This article has been updated with comments from Mark Goldman and Marco Greenberg.
Credit : www.newsweek.com
