President Donald Trump is expected to attend his private club’s flagship charity gala on Saturday, sources familiar with his plans said, making his first southern getaway from the White House since taking office.
Trump plans to attend the International Red Cross Ball at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, an annual bash that welcomes society figures and foreign ambassadors for a night of dancing and fireworks.
Trump regularly makes an appearance at the event, though he missed last year’s since it fell on the same night as a GOP primary debate.
The ball, a long-running highlight on the Palm Beach social calendar, is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. The theme is “Vienna to Versailles,” meant to evoke European grandeur in the gilded Grand Ballroom at the oceanfront Florida property.
Trump designed the ballroom himself, adding it onto the historic estate after he purchased it in the 1980s. He has claimed the ballroom rakes in more money for charity annually than any other space in the US.
The White House wouldn’t confirm Trump’s plans on Monday, saying the President’s schedule was still being finalized.
The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a flight restriction for the area for this weekend. A Facebook group has already been formed to organize protests around Mar-a-Lago during the charity event.
