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.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
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.
-
Today's political cartoons - September 18, 2024
Cartoons Wednesday's cartoons - high concept, violent rhetoric, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Unplugged: digital detox cabins offer an escape from the grid and the grind
The Week Recommends Tech-free retreats in the British countryside give guests a chance to switch off
By Kate Lucy, The Week UK Published
-
Mossad's history with explosive technology
The Explainer Infamous Israeli spy agency has not claimed responsibility for Hezbollah's exploding pagers but has 'decades-long' list of remote assassinations
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Suspect lurked 12 hours at Trump course, fired no shots
Speed Read Ryan Routh, 58, did not have Trump in his line of sight when the Secret Service apprehended him
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump assassination attempt: do former presidents need more protection?
Today's Big Question Secret Service director says 'paradigm shift' needed after second Trump attack sparks calls for more resources
By The Week UK Published
-
How the far-right media bubble failed Donald Trump
By ensconcing himself in the comfort of friendly — and increasingly conspiracy-driven — media, the former president is stuck in a feedback loop of his own making
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Ohio governor slams attacks on Haitian migrants
Speed Read Mike DeWine condemned the conspiracies boosted by Donald Trump and JD Vance about immigrants eating people's pets
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
FBI: Secret Service stops 2nd Trump assassination try
Speed Read The former president evaded a second assassination attempt at his golf club in Palm Beach, Florida
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Is the media 'sanewashing' Trump?
Talking Points Critics say there's a disconnect between 'reality and reported news'
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Harris baits, debates Trump in feisty Philly face-off
Speed Read The first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris quickly grew combative
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
'This failure to reach out to the entire 9/11 community is unacceptable'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published