Trump is reportedly crashing memorial services, living large 'like Napoleon at Elba'


"By all accounts," Joshua Green reports at Bloomberg, former President Donald Trump's post–White House life in Southern Florida "doesn't resemble that of a typical ex-president so much as a foreign monarch cast into exile — like Napoleon at Elba, but with golf and a bigger buffet." Trump isn't just holding court at Mar-a-Lago, which he's transformed into the new center of gravity for the Republican Party, Green writes. He's also created "his own economy, providing livelihoods for his former aides," who in turn "trumpet his gospel of stolen elections and Democratic conspiracies."
"As Comic-Con does for actors past their prime, South Florida offers hardcore Trump fans a way to indulge their nostalgia and fawn over their favorite characters from the extended Trump Universe," Green reports. And Trump himself is constantly "bathed in adulation. When he enters the dining room, people stand and applaud. When he returns from golf, he's met with squeals and selfie requests. When he leaves Mar-a-Lago, he often encounters flag-waving throngs."
Inside Mar-a-Lago, Trump will "show up for anything," Green adds. "In recent weeks, Trump has popped into engagement parties and memorial services. A Mar-a-Lago member who recently attended a club gathering for a deceased friend was surprised when Trump sauntered in to deliver remarks and then hung around, apparently enjoying himself."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Some Trump courtiers have moved to the Palm Beach area because they want to — Fox News hosts Sean Hannity and Neil Cavuto recently bought homes near Mar-a-Lago. Others, like former White House staffers who have been unable to get jobs after the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection, "have nowhere else to go," former Trump campaign aide Sam Nunberg told Bloomberg. "What else are they going to do?"
There are also signs the Trump adulation may not extend too far beyond the "Trump Coast," however. The name "Donald" fell 55 places on the Social Security Administration's 2020 list of popular baby names, coming in at a record-low 610th place, below Axton, Dariel, Marvin, and Brycen. Read more about Trump's new realm at Bloomberg.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Tuberculosis is seeing a resurgence, and it's only going to get worse
Under the radar The spread of the deadly infection is buoyed by global unrest
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 3, 2025
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku medium: April 3, 2025
The Week's daily medium sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sen. Booker's 25-hour speech beats Thurmond
Speed Read He spoke for the longest time in recorded Senate history, protesting the Trump administration's policies
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bondi seeks death penalty for Luigi Mangione
Speed Read Mangione was charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last year
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Democrats win costly Wisconsin court seat
Speed Read Democrats prevailed in an election for the Wisconsin Supreme Court despite Elon Musk's robust financial support of the Republican candidate
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Detentions and hostile treatment: is it safe to visit the US?
The Explainer Spate of interrogations and deportations at US border sparking decline in overseas visitors
By The Week UK Published
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?
Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
WHCA rejects White House press seating grab
Speed Read The White House Correspondents' Association objected to the Trump administration's bid to control where journalists sit during press briefings
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Trump sends more migrants to El Salvador jail
Speed Read Another 17 Venezuelan alleged gang members have been deported to a notorious prison
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Law firms: Caving to White House pressure
Feature Trump targets major law firms tied to his past investigations
By The Week US Published