‘Shameful’: Donald Trump Faces Backlash for Partying with Elon Musk at Mar-a-Lago As Wildfires Ravage the Carolinas
While more than 175 wildfires raged across the Carolinas, prompting evacuations and a state of emergency declaration, video from a weekend event at Mar-a-Lago showed President Donald Trump dancing and celebrating with Elon Musk while giving no public acknowledgment of the crisis unfolding just hundreds of miles away.
As the fires threatened to spiral out of control, South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency, prompting local officials to order temporary evacuations near Myrtle Beach and in the Blue Ridge Mountains as strong winds and dry conditions fueled the flames on Sunday, just as Trump was partying it up in Palm Beach.
It’s unclear if the president was aware of the crisis as he reveled in what appeared to be a raucous gala, with video on X showing the second-term president striding down a catwalk with loud music thumping and hundreds of guests cheering. Trump, who was dressed like he just left the golf course, swung his arms to the beat while Musk followed closely behind, his son perched on his shoulders. Trump held a couple of red MAGA caps, seemingly prepared to toss them into the crowd.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk (with his human shield) walk the catwalk at some event at Mar-a-Lago.
So cringe.
— Art Candee
(@ArtCandee) March 2, 2025
“This is just absurd. The US president having extravagant parties at his golf club. The cult was mad when Biden went to the beach. But this sick cult adoration of an old man looking like a fool is totally okay,” wrote one X user in response to a short clip of Trump and Musk stuttering on stage.
Meanwhile, at least 4,200 acres were burning out of control in South Carolina alone, mostly in the Pee Dee region in the northeast corner of the state, according to reports. However, more blazes were surging across the state due to ongoing tinderbox conditions that have so far overwhelmed Forestry Commission firefighters and local emergency crews, said Darryl Jones, South Carolina’s forest protection chief, who spoke to the Washington Post.
The National Weather Service expects dry, windy conditions to ease up as a cold front moves in, pushing out the dry air mass and bringing rain by Tuesday. By early Monday, the South Carolina Forestry Commission reported the number of active fires had dropped to 163.
As disaster threatened, there was no sign of it in the celebratory mood at Mar-a-Lago.
Another video clip shared on X captures an earlier moment in the gala as Trump and Musk stepped onto the stage in a grand ballroom, framed by a gold coffered ceiling and glittering crystal chandeliers. A sea of up to a thousand guests held up their phones to record the moment, while a woman with a microphone greeted Trump on stage and professional videographers filmed Trump from several angles.
According to reports, South Ocean Boulevard, the road to Trump’s estate, was shut down for hours to accommodate the flood of guests, disrupting local traffic, closing three drawbridges, and delaying boats from port amid heightened security during his fourth visit to Palm Beach since taking office in January. Temporary flight restrictions were also imposed over Palm Beach County throughout Trump’s visit.
Two states to the north, a massive fire threatened Carolina Forest, a community of 23,000 near Myrtle Beach. Resident videos captured an orange haze swallowing the sky as fierce winds whipped through.
By Sunday evening, the 1,600-acre blaze was only 30% contained, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said, as firefighters battled through the night to protect threatened communities.
After nightfall, Trump flew back to Washington on Air Force One, then took the short Marine One flight to the White House with Musk and his son. Video posted on social media captured them arriving, smiling and waving to cameras as they strolled across the lawn, seemingly indifferent to the wildfires raging in the Carolinas.
Flames whipped up in Horry County and forced evacuations in eight neighborhoods, officials said. The South Carolina Army National Guard deployed two Blackhawk helicopters, each dropping 600 gallons of water at a time to the heart of the fire.
Doug Wood, a spokesman for the state forestry commission, said a statewide red flag fire alert was issued Friday due to low humidity, gusty winds, and dry conditions fueling wildfire risks, the Post reported. So far, no deaths, injuries, or structural damage have been reported, he added.
Meanwhile, four fires remained active in North Carolina early Monday, according to a state forestry website. Firefighters battled blazes across all four national forests and near Tryon, where the 176 Fire, named after U.S. Route 176, had grown to 400 acres with zero containment by Sunday afternoon, officials said.
There was no indication of a federal response. So far, the White House has not issued a statement nor addressed the urgent situation in either state.
The region remains in drought, with the U.S. Climate Prediction Center expecting moderate drought to persist across much of the Carolinas and severe conditions to grip parts of North Carolina’s coast through early spring.
The reason for the Mar-a-Lago event was unclear, but it came at a time when Trump faced mounting disapproval, with Republican voters among his loudest critics. Recent polls show more than half the country is dissatisfied with his performance, particularly as he has yet to fulfill his promise of lowering consumer prices on day one.
Trump’s visit came just days after House Republicans narrowly passed a budget framework, 217-215, that includes $4.5 trillion in tax cuts and $2 trillion in spending reductions. A triumphant Trump celebrated the legislative victory.
However, the looming budget cuts are expected to bring economic hardship to the middle class, triggering job losses in essential public services and straining access to vital resources, health care and social programs, as well as cuts to Medicaid.
Workforce reductions so far by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency has put thousands of government employees out of work across the country. On Monday, Musk’s team reportedly fired as many as 800 employees at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—the very agency responsible for tracking weather conditions critical to wildfire response.
Higher prices for consumers may also be on the horizon after Trump last week signaled he would reinstate the threatened 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, citing the continued flow of fentanyl and other deadly drugs into the U.S.
“People are struggling, crises are everywhere, and Trump is doing what he does best: ignoring it all while living it up at his private club,” wrote one person on X. “Trump is having a great time while Americans are suffering. Shameful,” another person wrote, echoing the same sentiment.