Trump calls it the 'center of the universe'

PALM BEACH, Fla. — The cars begin lining up early in the morning to be screened by Secret Service agents under white tents near the fence that surrounds President-elect Donald Trump's vast south Florida estate. Famous figures such as Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Tesla and X owner Elon Musk pop up at breakfasts, luncheons and other social gatherings held daily at the opulent Mar-a-Lago club. Over the weekend, Mike Love, one of the original members of the Beach Boys, performed the band's greatest hits under an outdoor tent there as Trump, trailed by Secret Service agents, wandered through the crowd, swinging his fists to the music, according to videos posted online. At other parts of the evening, he stood next to his wife, Melania, near the pool, bobbing his head to the music. The resort is the "Center of the Universe," Trump declared on social media Friday, adding, "Bill Gates asked to come, tonight." Representatives for Trump and Gates didn't clarify if the Microsoft co-founder did indeed join the parade of figures making the trip to Mar-a-Lago. But the president-elect's post reflects the way his resort, where he's largely been holed up since the election, has become a salon and celebration for his movement. For the people he's selected for his administration — and those who seek to get jobs or curry favor with the incoming president — it's the place to be. Sightings of those turning up there, usually in photos posted online or in the occasional public event, offer a glimpse into the workings of Trump's incoming White House and how he is setting priorities for office. They are also renewing concerns about transparency as the meetings are largely shrouded in secrecy, and raising questions about how Trump benefits financially as club members seeking to influence the new administration stay and eat there. "It's kind of unreal," said James Fishback, an investor who has in recent days launched an investment fund in the club's tea room and dined at the courtyard. "This is the power center." He recalled standing by the pasta table exchanging words with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whom Trump has chosen to lead the Health Department. The winter holidays have been another occasion for Trump's celebrations and for big names to come visit. A representative for Zuckerberg confirmed he joined Trump for a dinner the night before Thanksgiving. A Christmas Eve video showed Trump in one of the resort's ballrooms full of guests, dancing to one of his favorite songs, the Village People's "Y.M.C.A.," while his daughter Ivanka sat in a gilded chair nearby. It's not clear what Trump planned for New Year's Eve — he has traditionally held a bash at the resort — but in his social media post on Friday, he boasted, "New Year's Eve is going to be AMAZING!!!" During dinners with friends and family, Trump uses the Spotify account on his tablet to play many of the same tunes that were ubiquitous at his campaign rallies. One night, his guest of honor was Sara Netanyahu, the wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Another night, the honor went to Akie Abe, the widow of slain Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. And, yes, that was Argentine President Javier Milei doing Trump's "Y.M.C.A." dance between the tables at a gala dinner. During the day, Trump often golfs at his nearby course with friends, relatives and allies, like Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. Overall, the vibe is a mix of south Florida's monied social scene overlaid with the power dynamics of an executive job fair. "He's surrounded by a lot of old friends," Graham said. "I just know that everybody I know wants some job." Musk has been a constant presence at the club, so much so that Trump's granddaughter, Kai, wrote on X that he was "achieving uncle status." Trump has tasked Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy with leading the Department of Government Efficiency, a nongovernmental task force formed to find ways to fire federal workers, cut programs and slash federal regulations. Kevin Roberts, president of the think tank behind Project 2025, spoke at a December event with investors at the club. One of the guests at the small function was health care executive Dr. Peter Lamelas, later tapped by Trump to be U.S. ambassador to Argentina. Sometimes Trump relaxes for dinner alongside club members and guests under the yellow and white awnings in the courtyard. Other times, he will address large groups for black-tie events in the ballrooms. At a recent gala for a nonprofit led by Lt. Gen Michael Flynn, the song ″God Bless the U.S.A.," a favorite of Trump's, cued the president-elect's entrance. "We're off to a really good start," Trump told people gathered for the event. He then inquired about the whereabouts of Tom Homan, whom he has tapped to be border czar, and joked that Homan was from "central casting." "Just relax, Tom. I want you to relax and get ready for the big push," Trump said. Trump shared with the party guests that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, whom he threatened with a 25% tariff on all imported goods unless she does more to tackle illegal border crossings and drug flows, "has made progress." At another recent event at Mar-a-Lago, this one hosted by the America First Policy Institute, the ballroom was full of recognizable Trump-world figures such as Kellyanne Conway, who served as counselor to the president, and Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist and founder of Turning Point Action. A copy of the president-elect's latest book was sitting on the chairs for guests as they arrived in gowns and tuxedos. As he entered the ballroom, Musk was swarmed by guests, including Kash Patel, whom Trump would later select to lead the FBI, before the tech billionaire took his seat at the center table of the ballroom. Musk was later joined there by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. "It's the place to be and the place to be seen," said Damian Merlo, a political strategist who advises the Salvadoran president, Nayib Bukele. Merlo was at that event as well as another event hosted by the Conservative Political Action Committee. At a news conference Trump held recently at Mar-a-Lago, the president-elect noted the changed mood compared with his first term, saying, "Everybody wants to be my friend." Besides Zuckerberg, Trump has hosted other Silicon Valley executives, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos. "The top executives, the top bankers, they're all calling," Trump said. "It's like a complete opposite." Actor Russell Brand traveled this month to the club to speak at an event, where he sat with actor Mel Gibson, former Fox News personality Tucker Carlson and others. Later in the evening, he stood by a palm tree on the lawn, listening to a bagpiper in a kilt. Brand later posted a video to X about his experience. "Pretty amazing," he said. "Is this real life, or am I in a dream?" ___ Associated Press writer Mary Claire Jalonick in Washington contributed to this report.