PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — 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.
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Elon Musk and his son, X AE A-Xii, arrive to a New Year's Eve party hosted by President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Melania Trump looks on as President-elect Donald Trump arrives for a New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
This screenshot from President-elect Donald Trump's Truth Social account shows a post made Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Trump has largely been holed up at his resort, Mar-a-Lago, since his November election victory, meeting with allies he has selected for his Cabinet and other posts, and with others seeking to curry favor with the incoming president. The sightings offer a window into the workings of Trump’s incoming administration and renewing concerns about transparency as the meetings are shrouded in secrecy and Trump's businesses may continue to benefit from deals struck with people seeking to influence U.S. policy. (Truth Social via AP)
FILE - President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Dec. 16, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, FILE)
FILE - President-elect Donald Trump arrives for a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Dec. 16, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
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.
The club held a New Year's Eve bash Tuesday night that featured Trump, who spoke briefly to reporters near a red carpet rolled out for the occasion. He appeared briefly onstage addressing revelers, who included Love and many of his choices for Cabinet and other posts in his upcoming administration.
Trump said he thought 2025 would be a “great year” and “we’re going to do fantastically well as a country.”
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.
Elon Musk and his son, X AE A-Xii, arrive to a New Year's Eve party hosted by President-elect Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Melania Trump looks on as President-elect Donald Trump arrives for a New Year's Eve party at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
This screenshot from President-elect Donald Trump's Truth Social account shows a post made Friday, Dec. 27, 2024. Trump has largely been holed up at his resort, Mar-a-Lago, since his November election victory, meeting with allies he has selected for his Cabinet and other posts, and with others seeking to curry favor with the incoming president. The sightings offer a window into the workings of Trump’s incoming administration and renewing concerns about transparency as the meetings are shrouded in secrecy and Trump's businesses may continue to benefit from deals struck with people seeking to influence U.S. policy. (Truth Social via AP)
FILE - President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Dec. 16, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, FILE)
FILE - President-elect Donald Trump arrives for a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Dec. 16, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The man who rammed a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year's revelers in New Orleans had suspected bomb-making materials at his home and reserved the vehicle used in the deadly attack more than six weeks earlier, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Friday.
Federal authorities searching the home of Shamsud-Din Jabbar in Houston found a workbench in the garage and hazardous materials believed to have been used to make explosive devices, according to law enforcement officials familiar with the search. The officials were not authorized to speak about the ongoing inquiry and spoke to the AP on the condition of anonymity.
The FBI investigation also revealed that Jabbar purchased a cooler in Vidor, Texas, hours before the attack and gun oil from a store in Sulphur, Louisiana, the officials said. Authorities also determined Jabbar booked his rental of the pickup truck on Nov. 14, suggesting he may have been plotting the attack for more than six weeks.
Authorities say 14 people were killed and about 30 were injured in the attack early Wednesday by Jabbar, a former Army soldier who posted several videos on his Facebook hours before the attack previewing the violence he would unleash and proclaiming his support for the Islamic State militant group. The coroner’s office listed the cause of death for all 14 victims as “blunt force injuries.”
Jabbar, 42, was fatally shot in a firefight with police at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans' historic French Quarter.
Authorities found crude bombs that had been planted in the neighborhood in an apparent attempt to cause more carnage. Two improvised explosive devices left in coolers several blocks apart were rendered safe at the scene, officials said. Other devices were determined to be nonfunctional.
Investigators recovered from Jabbar's rental truck a transmitter intended to trigger the two bombs, the FBI said in a statement Friday. It also said authorities found bomb-making materials at the New Orleans home Jabbar rented prior to the attack. Jabbar tried to burn the house down by setting a small fire in a hallway and placing accelerants to help spread it, the FBI said. The flames burned out before firefighters arrived.
Authorities on Friday were still investigating Jabbar's motives and how he carried out the attack. They say he exited the crashed truck wearing a ballistic vest and helmet and fired at police, wounding at least two officers before he was fatally shot by officers returning fire.
New Orleans police declined to say Friday how many shots were fired by Jabbar and police, and whether any bystanders may have been hit, citing the active investigation.
Stella Cziment, who heads the city's civilian-run Office of the Independent Police Monitor, said investigators are working to account for “every single bullet that was fired” and whether any of them struck bystanders.
Bourbon Street was solemn Friday. A day after the crime scene reopened to the public, locals and tourists stopped to pay respects to victims of the attack as the sound of bucket drums echoed. People shed tears while gathering at a growing memorial. Some left flowers and candles while others dropped to their knees to say a quick prayer.
“New Orleans is about having a good time, you know, just trying to live your best life," said Tony Lightfoot, who works in Baton Rouge and was visiting New Orleans with his son. He said the attacker “just decided to disrupt all of that.”
Thirteen people remained hospitalized. Eight people were in intensive care at University Medical Center New Orleans, spokesperson Carolina Giepert said.
The White House said President Joe Biden would travel to New Orleans next week. The president and first lady planned to visit Monday to “grieve with the families and community members impacted by the tragic attack.”
Police used multiple vehicles and barricades on Friday to block traffic at Bourbon and Canal streets as crowds of pedestrians swelled. Other law enforcement agencies helped city officers provide extra security, said Reese Harper, a spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department.
The first parade of the Carnival season leading up to Mardi Gras was scheduled to take place Monday. New Orleans will also host the Super Bowl on Feb. 9.
“This enhanced safety effort will continue daily, not just during large events,” Harper said in a statement.
In a previous effort to protect the French Quarter, the city had installed steel columns known as bollards to restrict vehicle access to Bourbon Street. The posts retracted to allow for deliveries to bars and restaurants, until — gummed up by Mardi Gras beads, beer and other detritus — they stopped working reliably.
So when New Year’s Eve arrived, the bollards were gone. They were being replaced ahead of the Super Bowl.
Meanwhile, New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno took steps toward launching an investigation of the attack. In a memo to another council member obtained by AP, Moreno said she was initiating the creation of a local and state legislative committee “dedicated to reviewing the incident and its implications.”
“This committee will play a crucial role in assessing our current policies, enhancing security measures, and ensuring that we are adequately prepared to respond to any future threats,” Moreno wrote.
The FBI concluded Jabbar was not aided by anyone else in the attack, which killed an 18-year-old aspiring nurse, a single mother, a father of two and a former Princeton University football star, among others.
Thirteen of the 14 victims have been identified by the New Orleans coroner’s office, with the youngest listed as 18 and the oldest 63. Most of the victims were in their 20s. One victim, whose identity was withheld by the coroner’s office at the request of family, was a British citizen.
It was the deadliest IS-inspired assault on U.S. soil in years, laying bare what federal officials have warned is a resurgent international terrorism threat.
Mustian reported from Black Mountain, North Carolina. Cline reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. AP reporters Eric Tucker and Tara Copp in Washington; Sharon Lurye in New Orleans; Jeff Martin in Atlanta; Martha Bellisle in Seattle; Darlene Superville in New Castle, Delaware; and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Georgia, contributed to this report.
FILE - A black flag with white lettering lies on the ground rolled up behind a pickup truck that a man drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing and injuring a number of people, early Wednesday morning, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert, File)
Shawn Westbrook prays at a memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Kelli Galle, right, hugs her son Parker, left, as they visit a memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Eddie Williams lights candles for his uncle, who was killed in a deadly truck attack, at a memorial to the victims on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Allyson Tomkins, right, prays with Emily Lara, 5, center, and her grandmother Charity Lara, right, at a memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A memorial for the victims of a deadly truck attack on New Year's Day stands on the sidewalk in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack is seen on Canal Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack is seen on Canal Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack is seen on Canal Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
People view a memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A woman walks past a memorial to the victims of a deadly truck attack on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Friday, Jan. 3, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A makeshift memorial on the corner of Bourbon street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, lists the names of some of the victims of the deadly attack, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
Jovon Bell from New York, who said he was injured in the New Year's attack, reacts near a temporary barriers set up in the French Quarter, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A street performer flips over a line of people on Bourbon street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, after the area reopened to the public following a deadly attack in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
A Georgia football fan takes a photo of a memorial to victims of the deadly truck attack on Bourbon street after the area reopened, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Jack Brook)
Spc. Nelson Harrison, of the Louisiana National Guard, keeps a watchful eye on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A memorial sits outside a restaurant along Bourbon Street in the French Quarter, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Sav Bennly sits in front of a memorial at Bourbon and Canal Street in the French Quarter, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released this photo on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024, in relation to the investigation into a car driving into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released this photo on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024, in relation to the investigation into a car driving into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released photos of surveillance footage that shows Shamsud-Din Jabbar an hour before he drove a truck down Bourbon Street, New Orleans, early Jan. 1, 2025. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released photos of surveillance footage that shows Shamsud-Din Jabbar an hour before he drove a truck down Bourbon Street, New Orleans, early Jan. 1, 2025.(Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released photos of surveillance footage that shows Shamsud-Din Jabbar an hour before he drove a truck down Bourbon Street, New Orleans, early Jan. 1, 2025. Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released photos of surveillance footage that shows Shamsud-Din Jabbar an hour before he drove a truck down Bourbon Street, New Orleans, early Jan. 1, 2025. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released this photo of Shamsud-Din Jabbar on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation released this photo of Shamsud-Din Jabbar on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2024. (Federal Bureau of Investigation via AP)
Police watch as fans walk through security checkpoints outside Caesars Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Fans walk through security checkpoints as they enter Caesars Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Fans walk towards the Caesars Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
The FBI investigates the area on Orleans St and Bourbon Street by St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter where a suspicious package was detonated after a person drove a truck into a crowd earlier on Bourbon Street on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Investigators work the scene after a person drove a vehicle into a crowd killing several, earlier on Canal and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A black flag with white lettering lies on the ground rolled up behind a pickup truck that a man drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing and injuring a number of people, early Wednesday morning, Jan. 1, 2025. The FBI said they recovered an Islamic State group flag, which is black with white lettering, from the vehicle. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Security personnel investigate the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
FBI members examine the scene on Bourbon Street during the investigation of a truck fatally crashing into pedestrians on Bourbon Street in the French Quarter in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)
Police officers stand near the scene where a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon streets, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Fans pass through security check points as they enter the Caesars Superdome fan zone ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Local SWAT teams patrol outside the Caesars Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Local SWAT teams patrol outside the Caesars Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Matthias Hauswirth of New Orleans prays on the street near the scene where a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon streets, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A man uses a power washer on Toulouse street a day after a vehicle was driven into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon streets, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Security with bomb sniffing dogs patrol the area around the Superdome ahead of the Sugar Bowl NCAA College Football Playoff game, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Military personnel walk down Bourbon street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
A memorial of flowers is set up on Canal and Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Samantha Petry places flowera at a memorial on Canal and Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Samantha Petry, who works in the area, visits a flower memorial set up on Canal and Bourbon Street, Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025 in New Orleans. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
